


The Price of Knowledge

by Mice



Series: Sea Change [14]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Adventure, Angst, BAMF!Flynn Fairwind, Canon-Typical Violence, Defining Family, Hurt/Comfort, M rating for violence, M/M, Political Intrigue, assassination attempt, cliffie in chapter 3, serious Shaw whump, the crew of the Bold Arva - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:15:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26802772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mice/pseuds/Mice
Summary: A random contact in Northrend leads Flynn and Mathias to a potential source of information on Sylvanas in the Broken Isles. Things do not go as planned.
Relationships: Flynn Fairwind/Mathias Shaw
Series: Sea Change [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1875685
Comments: 144
Kudos: 80





	1. Those Who Remain

Waking to an empty bed was no longer a thing that Mathias cared for, but Flynn was off on a shipping contract to Northrend and he'd been gone for a week already. It would be at least another before he got home. Breakfast wasn't the same without company, either, but he drank his coffee and munched his spice bread toast in silence before taking himself to his office for another day of paperwork and meetings.

Renzik came into his office with the morning stack of reports in one hand and a huge mug of coffee in the other. He slapped the mug down in front of Mathias and said, "Drink this and don't say a word until you're done." Mathias opened his mouth to respond but Renzik pointed a finger at him. "Not. One. Word." He slapped the files down as well. "Fairwind's out of town and you are a miserable bastard to deal with first thing when he's gone. I don't wanna hear it, so drink your coffee and we'll see if you're fit company after that."

The goblin turned sharply and left, leaving Mathias with a stack of files, and coffee prepared as he usually took it, staring after his second as the door slammed shut. He picked up the mug and sipped. Maybe he did tend to take Flynn's absence a little hard. He didn't think he was very different than he had been before Flynn, but it was entirely possible he'd been a miserable bastard to deal with for most of his life.

On second thought, yes. He absolutely had been a miserable bastard to deal with, and not just first thing in the morning. He drank the coffee.

Half an hour later, Renzik poked his nose back in. "You gonna stab things now, or can we work?"

"We can work," Mathias said. "But it's probably better if it involves stabbing things."

Renzik chuckled. "Okay, you can make a joke. We'll probably live through this."

"Sorry," Mathias said. "I didn't realize I'd been that bad."

Renzik plopped himself down in his chair and shrugged. "You're tolerable in the morning when Fairwind's in port. He's changed you."

"I know," Mathias sighed.

"Look, we can all understand that you miss him, just… maybe have an extra cup of coffee before you come in. Take a little of the edge off for the rest of us. Or at least for me, cuz I'm the one who's gotta come in here and face you every day for the morning reports."

Mathias nodded. "I'll try to remember that. Let's get started, shall we?"

***

Renzik sighed and shook his head as he left Shaw's office. The guy had definitely pulled the stick out of his ass since he'd met Fairwind. Not that he wasn't always cranky, but he was a little less so with Fairwind around, and that suited Renzik just fine.

When you were a goblin without a Cartel, you did what you could to get by in the world. He'd signed on with SI:7 years ago because he knew that if you didn't have gold, information was the next best thing. Information was _valuable_ , and people paid for it. Sometimes they paid a lot, and Renzik liked a steady paycheck. The work wasn't that bad, either.

Stormwind and Shaw were an unexpected bonus. He couldn't say he'd ever expected Shaw to be a friend, but they'd got friendly over time. The man was a good boss, at least. Didn't demand shit from people he wouldn't do himself, which was more a human thing than a goblin one -- a goblin boss _always_ wanted something from you he wouldn't do himself, after all. But with a boss like Shaw, you knew something was probably doable if he asked for it.

The life's ambition of any goblin with a Cartel or a Company was to make as much money as possible and eventually rise to Trade Prince, or at least Trade Baron, but the reality was that most goblins were never going to get there. Renzik had always been a realist. He had gold in his eyes like anyone else, but that _cha-ching_ was never going to happen for him. He wasn't an engineer, like so many others, but he was curious, and good at getting into -- and out of -- tight places. So he got himself into a contract with the Alliance, who actually paid damned well when you had a unique set of talents. In Renzik's case, that talent was being a goblin who stayed bought. If they kept giving him the gold, he'd keep giving them the info, and so a spy was born.

Ending up with SI:7 was a natural after that. His rise to power as the second in command for the infamous -- and infamously cranky -- Mathias Shaw wasn't something he'd foreseen, but it suited him. Next best thing to being a Trade Baron, really. He held the reins when Shaw was in the field. He had access to the High King of the Alliance and, while Shaw had been in Boralus, he was de-facto head of SI:7 during the man's absence. He was probably the highest-paid agent SI:7 had. It was as much power as any goblin could possibly have inside the Alliance. It was damned near as much power as somebody like Gazlowe had on the Horde Council, really, and that? That was living the dream.

His mission right now, though, was to help groom the next head of SI:7, because as much as he was valued in his position, and as well-paid as he was, nobody was going to accept him as the permanent head of the agency, and he was aging just like Shaw was. They'd age out of it about the same time, in fact. So, setting up Rell Nightwind was the best he could do to preserve what legacy he had here. It helped that he liked both Shaw and Nightwind. They were good at what they did, and reliable.

Not that he wanted anyone to know that he liked other people. Too much trouble, and then everyone expected things from you. Things they didn't pay you for. He searched around the compound until he found the object of his hunt. "Nightwind!"

The purple-haired kaldorei looked up from the conversation he'd been having with one of the trainees. "Shiv."

"With me." He gestured back toward the building. "Got an assignment for ya."

Nightwind nodded and followed Renzik back to his office. "What's needed?" he asked.

"Perch your tall, skinny ass for a few. Check in with me. How's the resettlement going?"

Nightwind sat and leaned back in the chair, stretching his long, long legs out in front of him. "Shaw told me of our losses in the time I'd been gone, but I am pleasantly surprised by the number of people I know who remain. The loss of Amber Kearnen is painful, however."

Renzik nodded and sighed. "Yeah, that was rough. What happened to Shaw then was even worse. He doesn't talk about it much. Can't say as I blame him." Renzik shook his head. "He blames himself enough for everybody."

"I've heard vague mentions, but no one seems willing to say more." Nightwind rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepled his fingers under his chin. 

"It's his story. If he wants you to know, he'll tell you. You just need to know that he was a wreck for a long time afterwards, and that Fairwind's really done miracles with him." Renzik put his feet up on his desk and leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Had any run-ins with Romano yet?"

"We've spoken a couple of times. I was given a bland welcome back, but it was about what I'd expected. There's no reason for him to expect anything coming from me. He wasn't hostile, at least. I assume the hostilities are reserved for those he, or the House of Nobles, perceive as a threat."

"Yeah. If he didn't answer to me, I doubt I'd get the time of day out of him. But at least we know he's not going into it with you overtly hostile."

Nightwind nodded. "I understand why Shaw is concerned, though. Romano seems to be gathering himself a small cadre of sycophants within the agency. We shall have to watch to see that he doesn't create a faction in his bid for power. I believe we should find some way to counter his recruitment efforts. Shaw should be informed."

"Hmm. Hadn't seen that developing but I can't say it's a surprise. If he's trying to plan a coup, he'll need the support, and they're sure as death and tax avoidance not gonna let me or Shaw in on it. Any of the upper echelon with him?"

Nightwind shook his head. "Not that I could see, but I'm not the kind he'd recruit. They're all human, and all from Stormwind. The few that I've seen don't seem to associate with people of other races, or with Kul Tirans and Gilneans."

"I don't get what their problem with other humans is. I mean if they're gonna be racist assholes, I can see 'em having problems with the actual worgens, but Gilneans, generally? Makes zero sense to me." Renzik shrugged.

Nightwind gave him a thoughtful look. "The House of Nobles is focused on bloodline over everything. Many of them consider everyone else an inferior. There are similar factional issues between the various elven groups. All of the elves were originally kaldorei, but over time and through many different historical and cultural experiences over millennia, the elves split into the factions that you know today. While yes, we are all elven, we would not necessarily consider someone from one of the other groups the same. I would guess that humans feel similarly about their cultural subgroups."

"Eh," Renzik said, with a shrug, "goblins are goblins. Doesn't matter much what Cartel you're in, unless it's the Venture Company. Everybody hates them. They're assholes. But we're all goblins in the end."

"As you say. The fact remains that Romano appears to be attempting to build himself a base of power at this point, and Shaw should be made aware."

"Yeah," Renzik said. "I'll take care of it. Just keep an eye out."

"Did you have an actual assignment for me, or were you just looking for a reason to speak with me?" Nightwind asked.

"I actually do have one. I need something delivered to Dalaran this afternoon. You can haul it over there for me. Nothing important, but gives you a reason to be in here." He rummaged in his desk and brought out a coded scroll. "This needs to go to the Uncrowned. You know how to contact them?"

Nightwind nodded. "I've been given the insignia for access to their headquarters, yes."

"Good, good. After that, I got paperwork for you here, to get it off Shaw's desk. If you're gonna be taking over for him, you need to get used to being buried in the stuff."

Nightwind made a less than pleased noise. "Of course." He sighed. "I knew what I was in for when I agreed to the proposal."

"Right, then." He handed Nightwind the scroll. "Get out of here."

***

Mathias sat with Anduin in his private study later that evening, after work. "Renzik came to me after the daily briefing," he said. "Things are looking more problematic than I thought."

"What's happening?" Anduin asked. 

"Nightwind's found some hints that Romano is attempting to build himself a faction within SI:7 so that he has a power base for his attempt to stage a coup. It's unsurprising by itself, but what does surprise me is that he was able to keep it from my notice.”

"You've had an immense number of other things on your plate, first among them the search for Sylvanas. You're only human, Mathias. You can't have eyes everywhere."

"That's my job," Mathias grumbled. "I'm supposed to be your eyes in every corner of the planet, and here's evidence that I can't even see things happening within my own agency.

Anduin shook his head. "And yet, here you are, telling me that you've found them. It seems to me that you're not lacking, but that the information came to you slightly more slowly than you'd like. Do you know their identities yet?"

"No, but it shouldn't be long. Now that I know what I'm looking for, it'll be easier. It's probably best not to move on them as yet. Give them time to ferret out any other sympathisers so that we can deal with them all at once. Nightwind's said they're not associating with other races, or even with humans from outside the Eastern Kingdoms, so their power base within SI:7 is going to be limited at best. We get new recruits from all over Azeroth every day. Soon enough, they'll be entirely outnumbered even if we did nothing at all -- which is not our plan."

"How long will you watch and wait?" Anduin rose and got himself a drink. "Do you want some wine? It's after hours and I know you're not on duty now. I have a Dalaran red if you'd like."

Mathias nodded. "Thank you." With Flynn away, he felt rather less like going home. The idea of an empty flat didn't appeal to him much anymore. Anduin brought the wine to him then sat, and they sipped. "How long we wait depends on what's happening with the House of Nobles. If we can deflect them, we may not have to do anything at all. If things deteriorate, action may need to be taken sooner rather than later. It's all in the balance of power."

"Genn's enthusiasm for the House of Nobles support comes and goes. It seems to depend on which of them he interacts with. Some of them are fairly vocal about their distaste for worgens, and he's much less likely to be muttering their annoyances with you on the days he's had to deal with them."

Mathias nodded. "They may end up entirely alienating him themselves, soon enough. It would be ideal, though I'm not going to hold my breath."

"I'm still trying to talk him around when he brings you up. The fact that you did, in fact, return everything to the treasury, and that Jaina doesn't have an issue with what happened has been helpful. Genn keeps forgetting that Flynn is actually one of her covert operatives."

"That's why they call it covert," Mathias grumbled. "If everyone knew, he'd not be able to operate as freely as he does. The fact that she wanted him back wasn't intended to be part of the equation. He's not meant to be known as a Kul Tiran player. It's probably best if you don't beat that particular drum with him. If Jaina wishes to remind him, that's her prerogative."

"You have a point."

Mathias tilted his head and eyed Anduin, giving him half a smile. "I usually try to."

"She seems to stay fairly hands-off with him, I must admit."

"It's to her benefit to have him seen as primarily associated with me. He's obviously under the eye of the Alliance, but not perceived as technically affiliated with anyone. Frankly, I doubt anyone would think him a part of SI:7. I'm sure there are a lot of people with suspicions about his role, of course, but there's no proof. He's actually on a mission for Jaina right now, and it just happened to coincide with one of his contracts to Northrend." He drank again, almost half-finished with the glass. "If all goes well, he should be home next week sometime."

Anduin's gaze softened. "It must be difficult at times. I know he's at sea fairly frequently."

"He's a sailor," Mathias said with a shrug, trying to ignore the ache in his chest. "It's what they do. I wish he were home more often, but I can't ask him to change his life for me, not that way. He's already moved here to Stormwind for my sake. There'll be times that he's in port and I'll be away on a mission. Neither of us has that much choice in it. We have responsibilities that we can't turn away from, and his love for the sea isn't something I can begrudge him. It would be like cutting off a limb. I don't think he's ever lived inland and, frankly, I'm not sure he could for very long, even if he tried."

Anduin huffed and shook his head. "I've heard some Kul Tirans say if you cut them, they bleed seawater. It wouldn't surprise me."

"As a metaphor, it works, but I've seen far too much of Flynn's blood for one lifetime." He didn't want to remember Flynn lying at his feet, bleeding to death, before Sir Finley came rampaging up the rise with his murloc army.

"My apologies," Anduin said. "I wasn't thinking."

Mathias shook his head. "Don't apologize. I've heard some of them say the same thing. I suspect I'm just getting sentimental in my old age." He chuckled. "He seems to bring it out in me."

Anduin smiled. "You say sentimental like it's a bad thing."

Mathias finished his wine. "There was a time when I thought it was, when I thought it would make my work impossible. He's turned my entire life inside-out, but I've discovered that it hasn't really affected my ability to do my job. I'm grateful for that. I think being with him has… made me more resilient, perhaps." He met Anduin's eyes. "You know what I was like after Suramar. I could barely function."

"It would have done that to anyone."

"You were right to encourage me to talk with him about it."

"It can't have been easy," Anduin said, quiet. He sipped his wine.

"It wasn't." Mathias shook his head. "It wasn't at all. It still isn't. But it helped." His gaze unfocused as he spoke, his thoughts straying. "At this point, I'm not sure what I'd do without him. I never expected something like this in my life -- someone like him." He blinked and looked back at Anduin. "I'll rest easier when he's home again."

"He'll be back soon." Anduin smiled.

Mathias nodded. "I know," he said softly.


	2. The Northrend Haul

The _Bold Arva's_ shipment to Valgarde was delivered without incident. It was always a bit of a trip sailing in through the narrow passage into Daggercap Bay. He felt better doing it with a Tidesage than not because the passage made the winds strong and unpredictable, and it wouldn't do anyone a bit of good to have a ship ram the cliffs. He'd seen it happen here before. Those ironclad Alliance vessels with engines had an easier time of threading the needle, but he hardly considered those real ships -- how could it be a real ship without sails, for Tides sake? They might have masts, but they never seemed to use them.

When they landed, he was greeted by Basil Crowe, the Dockmaster, who told him he had to check in with Vice Admiral Keller. Keller was a well-known blowhard, which was probably why he'd been here for so many years. Ah, well, it was always somebody, wasn't it?

He wandered off, and followed the shouting until he found the man. "We've got supplies from Kul Tiras," Flynn told the Vice Admiral. "Someone should be expecting them."

Keller, impatient and busy with a group of his men, pointed off toward the town. "Talk to the Quartermaster, Logistics Officer Brighton. He'll tell you where things should be offloaded."

Flynn grumbled about typical Alliance bureaucracy, sending you to three places when one would do, but took himself over in the indicated direction, hands stuffed in his greatcoat pockets. The air was so cold that the breeze cut like a blade.

Brighton was a dark-haired man, going a bit grey about the edges, but his eyes were still sharp as anything. "Are you with the _Bold Arva?_ " he asked. "We're expecting her today."

Flynn nodded. "Aye, that's me. Captain Fairwind. We've got everything you requested from Boralus and Stormwind if you want to come down to the ship and check the manifest. We'll need some dockers to help us unload her."

"Right," Brighton said, and he turned and shouted for a work crew to get down to the dock and meet them before following Flynn back to the _Arva_. "How long will you be staying, and where are you bound next?"

"Just the night," Flynn said. "We're heading back to Stormwind after this. Why?"

"Was wondering if you might have time to carry a small shipment to Dungarde; it's a new settlement below the Ancient Lift. Mostly dwarves, humans, and gnomes; little place, but starting to thrive."

"The Ancient Lift?" Flynn tilted his head. "Isn't that near Scalawag Point? I thought that was Northsea Freebooters territory."

"They've been less active in these waters the past year or so. From what I understand you occasionally see the Northsea in Dungarde trading. Or drinking. As long as they're not raiding our people, we'll leave them alone."

"Ah, fair enough. If they're not going to bother me, I'll not worry about 'em. What is it you need shipped?" Flynn asked as they walked. He doubted the Northsea would come after the _Arva_ regardless. Flynn's crossed parrots ensign was a near-guarantee of safety from pirates these days, but it always paid to be aware.

"I have crates of wool cloth for them, and furs. Winter storms are giving them grief and they need it as soon as we can get it there."

Flynn thought. It would add a couple of days to their trip, and he wanted to get home to Mathias. "Who's paying, and how much?"

"Five hundred gold," Brighton told him. "Torvald Forgeminder's the man to talk to there. I can get you the paperwork if you'd like a look when we've offloaded our supplies."

Five hundred wasn't bad for a quick jaunt down the coast, Flynn thought. "I'll talk to my crew, see if they're up for an extra couple of days."

"Everyone would appreciate it if you'd be willing. Gets cold here, as you might imagine." It was already cold as a siren's tit and Flynn didn't want to imagine what he meant by 'gets cold' if it was already this bad. Sailing in a blizzard didn't appeal in the slightest.

They arrived at the _Arva_ and Flynn brought Brighton aboard, taking him to his cabin to deal with the manifest. Papers were signed and the offloading process began. "The Valgarde Inn's got warm rooms and comfortable beds if your crew would prefer to sleep ashore tonight, Captain," Brighton said.

"I'm sure we'd love to have a drink and a meal, at least. Got a question, though. I need to find a bloke named Beltrand McSorf, with the Explorer's League. Is he in town, do you know?"

Brighton thought for a moment. "Hmm, yeah, I think he's in town at the moment. Got a camp up on the cliffs if he's not, but I think I saw him this morning. Dwarf with hair and a beard the color of yours. If he's in town, he'll be up at the inn himself."

"Thanks, Brighton. I'll talk to my crew about the shipment and we'll get back to you by tomorrow morning about whether we'll take the commission or not."

Brighton stood from where he'd been seated at Flynn's table and offered him a hand. "I'll bid you a good day, then, Captain, and hope to hear from you soon."

When their shipment was unloaded, Flynn called the crew together. "We've got an offer on a quick run up the coast, mates," he said. "Wool cloth and furs to a new settlement called Dungarde, under the Ancient Lift. Would add a couple of days to our journey, but the contract's for five hundred gold. Would be a little extra in everyone's pockets. What do you say?"

After a quick discussion and a minor grumble from Thurin, who wanted to get back to Ironforge, everyone agreed that two extra days for a little extra gold wasn't going to kill them. "I'll just send a letter to the wife," Thurin said.

"She'll give us cold soup for a week," Billie said, dubious.

He patted her head. "Ach, you'll talk her 'round. You always do."

"It's the puppy eyes," Sonya said, with a rough chortle.

"All right, you lot," Flynn said, pulling the conversation back around. "The Valgarde Inn's got rooms for anyone that wants them tonight. There'll be food and drink there so Yun, you can take a break until we're back at sea." He looked over at Sparks. "Get us resupplied and take Johnny, Harmen, and Siward with you to haul things."

"Aye aye," they answered.

"And now, I have to go tell Brighton we'll take the job. I'll see you all at the inn later tonight. You're dismissed!" He should send a note to Mathias himself.

He headed up to the inn first, to look for McSorf, to get that out of the way. The inn was near the top of the hill under the cliff that backed the town, up out of the worst of the weather. Snow started falling as he walked, and he was glad they'd be heading back to Stormwind soon. While he didn't mind chilly weather much, or rain -- he was from Boralus, after all -- he really didn't care for snow. He tugged his greatcoat closer around him as he trudged upward. The tips of his ears were getting cold and his hair whipped around in the wind.

The inn itself was warm and bright inside, packed with people. He looked around and spotted McSorf at a table near the back, reading something and scribbling notes, a mug close at hand. He got himself an ale, and asked the barkeep what McSorf was drinking, then bought one of those and wandered over to the table. He set the mug of dwarven stout down by McSorf's near-empty mug and tucked himself into the other chair.

"Hey, mate. Name's Fairwind. I have something for you."

McSorf looked at the full mug of stout, then up at Flynn, one eyebrow raised. "I'd say have a seat, but…" He gestured at Flynn with his quill. "What can I do for ya?"

Flynn reached into an inner pocket of his greatcoat and pulled out the envelope he'd been given. "Was told to see that you got this." He set it down and slid it across the table to the dwarf, who took it and slid it under the list he'd been making.

"Right enough, thank you. Was hopin' to see that soon."

"I wasn't told to expect a reply." Flynn drank half his mug of ale.

McSorf nodded. "Aye, none needed."

"What can you tell me about Dungarde? I'll be hauling some cargo there tomorrow. Never been there before."

"Town's about five years old," he said, leaning back in his chair and slurping from his mug. "Doing well. There's freebooters in the area, but they tend to hunt further along the coast. You'll be okay sailing these waters, but have a care if you get past Kamagua."

Flynn nodded. "The Quartermaster mentioned them. Wasn't sure what the situation was, exactly. Good to know for planning the route home, thanks."

The crew of the _Arva_ started slowly filtering into the inn for the evening. Sparks had the baboon watch tonight, so she'd be with the ship, but everyone else was going to be put up in a comfy, stationary bed for the night. He'd have to make sure a nice, hot meal got sent down to his Boatswain so she didn't feel too left out.

"I need to go arrange a few things. Thanks for your time, mate," Flynn said to McSorf. The dwarf nodded and went back to making his notes. Flynn rose and took his empty mug back to the bar then got a bed for himself before heading off to find Brighton and let him know they'd take the job.

***

The town of Dungarde was more cheerful than Flynn would have expected, given it was pretty much a dust speck on a little stretch of flat land under a cliff. The Ancient Lift did give them a certain amount of traffic and commerce, though, so it made sense to put something there for folks who were bound elsewhere.

They'd offloaded and were in for the evening, waiting on the morning tide to depart. Johnny and the Brentley brothers were singing shanties with some of the Dungardeans and, apparently, a couple of the Northsea Freebooters as well. Flynn was in a good mood, because they'd be heading home tomorrow and was joining in with the chorus lines.

_Help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley,_  
_Wey hey, bully in the alley._  
_Help me Bob, I'm bully in the alley,_  
_Bully down in Shinbone al._

Johnny picked up the lead for the verses. Flynn thought he might be seeing somebody in Stormwind these days. He'd been sending letters pretty regularly for the last couple of months when they were at sea.

_Sally is the girl that I love dearly,_  
_Wey hey, bully in the alley._  
_Sally is the girl that I spliced nearly,_  
_Bully down in Shinbone al._

Well, the only person Flynn had ever had any designs on splicing was Mathias, but he wasn't sure what the man would think of formalizing what they had together. He knew people gave Mathias trouble over what everyone thought of as the informality of their union, but there wasn't much they could do about changing mainlander attitudes. Nor the attitudes of the Kul Tirans, really, given that being matelots was something you did when you didn't have other options. Something to think about later, maybe.

He was singing along when a gnome came over to him at his table. She was an older gal, wearing a broad-brimmed hat trimmed with leopard fur. After a quick, furtive look around, she said, "You Fairwind?"

Flynn tilted his head. "I might be. Depends."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't be a wise-ass, mate. It's a yes or no question."

Probably one of the Northsea Freebooters, he thought. "What do you want?"

She sat at the table with him. "If you're Fairwind, I got information that matelot of yours is going to want."

Flynn flagged down a barmaid. "Get her one of whatever she's drinking," he said.

"Whiskey," the gnome said. "The top shelf stuff, none of that watered down swill you sell to the lubbers." The barmaid looked at Flynn, who nodded and handed the woman the coin for it. She went for the drink.

"Talk," Flynn said.

"I'm Scuttle Frostprow. You've probably already figured I'm with the Northsea." Flynn nodded. "We were off the coast of Stormheim recently," she said. "Tried to take a ship, but it was kvaldir, not vrykul, like we'd thought. They fought us off, but not before I saw something. Something _interesting._ "

They both looked up as the barmaid brought Frostprow's drink and left it on the table. "What did you see, and why do you think anyone would be interested?"

Frostpaw knocked back half the whiskey in one shot. She smacked her lips. "I know everyone's looking for Windrunner."

Flynn's eyes narrowed and he leaned in closer. "What did you see?"

"Couldn't be certain, but the kvaldir had a prisoner aboard. An injured val'kyr."

"A val'kyr?" That _was_ interesting, and not necessarily in a good way. "One of the shiny ones?"

Frostprow shook her head. "No, not one of Eyir's lot. This was one of the ones who'd turned. One of the ones you'd see with Windrunner, the dark ones. The Northsea don't get involved in Horde and Alliance politics, but everyone's on edge with that undead bitch missing. If you find that val'kyr and she's still alive? You might be able to get some information out of her."

"Do you know where the ship was bound?" he asked. "And how long ago did you see it?"

"Four days ago," she said. "We don't know where they were heading, but it wasn't far from Shield's Rest."

Flynn shivered. He'd been there before, and not willingly. The place was bad news, and crawling with kvaldir and Helarjar. Tough sons of a kraken, them. "What do you want for that information?" he asked. If it came to anything, it would be worth a lot.

She looked around the room, eyes uneasy. "I'm looking to get out of freebooting. I know you managed it. Give me a berth to your next port and forget I exist."

"We're bound for Stormwind tomorrow on the tide. Enough gnomes there for you to disappear. You could become anyone else. But if you come to Stormwind with us, Shaw is going to want to talk to you, ask you firsthand for anything you might know. He'll have more questions than I do. Are you willing to answer them before you scarper off?"

She shifted in her seat, nervous and agitated, and knocked back the rest of the whiskey. "Is he gonna let me actually walk away if I do?"

Flynn shrugged. "I don't know. He may want to wait and see if the info checks out."

She sighed and shook her head. "I don't like it, but I don't have a lot of choice. I'm not willing to stay much longer with the crew, but there aren't many places a freebooter can jump ship, either. Only so many free ports around. Not a lot of them with enough gnomes to let me fade into the background when I get there."

"I take it you're coming, then, and that you'll talk to him when you get there. If he's satisfied, I'm sure he can help you make some kind of new identity. At least keep you away from the notice of your crew."

She nodded. "Okay. I'll take the chance on it."

Flynn finished his drink. "If you're serious, meet the _Bold Arva_ down at the dock at dawn. We leave on the tide. If you don't meet us, that's that."

"Right. Tomorrow at dawn."

***

Frostprow actually showed up at the gangplank when the _Arva_ made ready to sail the next morning, so Flynn let her come aboard and just told the crew she had asked passage to Stormwind. She helped while she was aboard and everyone knew it wasn't what it looked like, but they all knew better than to ask. Flynn was grateful. Some things you just didn't want to burden anyone with. If it was something that the crew needed to find out about, they'd know soon enough. Everyone was well aware that sometimes Flynn had secrets to keep that weren't his own.

It was a relief to meet Mathias at the dock with an embrace and a kiss. The warmth of being in his arms again was real and always lifted a burden from Flynn's heart. Thurin and Billie's family was there, and a Kul Tiran woman met Johnny this time, too. Looked like Flynn's suspicion was on target. He'd only wished that he didn't have a little gnomish shadow when Mathias met him, because he vastly preferred just going home with him once they made landfall. He'd given the _Arva's_ paperwork to Sonya to take to the Stormwind Harbormaster because he knew he wouldn't have time to deal with it.

Mathias looked at the gnome, suspicious, then looked up at Flynn. "Somebody you need to talk to," Flynn said. "Best we do it at your office."

One copper eyebrow lifted, but Mathias nodded. "Right, then. Let's go."

No one spoke as they made their way up the cliffside stairs and through the city to Old Town and SI:7 headquarters. Flynn and Mathias's private chatter was just that -- private. Neither of them wanted to indulge with an audience accompanying them. They didn't hold hands, either, though they normally would have if they were alone.

Finally, in Mathias's office, he gestured to the chairs in front of his desk. Frostprow sat, twitchy. "What did you bring me?" Mathias asked, looking at Flynn.

"Scuttle Frostprow, recently of the Northsea Freebooters. She says she saw something a little over week ago now that you'll want to hear about." Flynn leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He really would rather be home right now, but that wasn't on the table with something like this happening.

Mathias fixed his green eyes on her. "Talk."

She looked up at Flynn, who nodded. Frostprow sighed. "Like he said, it was just over a week ago. Our crew saw what we thought was a vrykul ship off the coast of Stormheim. We fired on them, wanting to take whatever they might be carrying. They returned fire but we closed on them. The fighting got close and heated. We were actually on their deck at one point before we were repelled, but I saw something there. A cage. They had a val'kyr prisoner."

Mathias shifted uneasily in his seat. "Describe her."

"One of the dark ones, like you'd see with Windrunner. I don't think it was one of the great ones. Most of those are dead, from what I heard." Mathias nodded at her words and gestured for her to continue. "I don't know why they had her, or what they'd planned, but nobody wants Windrunner out there making mischief. It's possible the val'kyr might have some information. Who knows how recently she was in Windrunner's presence."

"Where were they?" Mathias said, rummaging in his drawer for a scroll. He rolled it out on his desk, revealing a fairly detailed map of Stormheim.

"They were off Shield's Rest," she said, getting up on her chair to see the map properly. She pointed. "Off the coast about here."

"They could have been headed for the island," Flynn said. "The kvaldir are everywhere, and there are several old vrykul tombs there. It's dangerous."

"I've never been there," Mathias said. "I'll have to get a report from someone immediately."

"I can tell you what I know after you're done with her."

Mathias looked back at Frostprow. "Were you close enough to speak to her at all? Did she say anything?"

Frostprow shook her head. "No. Was just close enough to know what I was seeing, and that she was alive and injured."

"Why did you come forward with this?" Mathias rested an elbow on his desk, watching her carefully.

She looked him in the eye. "I've been wanting out of the Northsea Freebooters for a while now. When I spotted him," she gestured at Flynn, "I thought maybe this would be my chance. Get passage to somewhere else -- anywhere else -- in exchange for some information. Leaving freebooting isn't the easiest thing to do." She shrugged. "I imagine Fairwind knows it, too."

Flynn nodded. "True, true. Until people forget you, you're constantly looking over your shoulder, worrying someone's going to recognize you. The higher up you are, the longer it takes. If people know your name, you're screwed no matter what you do. I got lucky and found people who were willing to give me a chance."

Mathias watched them talk without saying anything. Flynn turned to him. "You know I'm still getting trouble from people over it, even now. Even though I'm with you. For some of them, nothing I do will ever make up for the things I've done. Give her a chance, love. Let her get out of it. Let her walk away."

Mathias sighed and nodded. "If what you want is another life, somewhere else, something invisible, we can manage that. It'll need to wait until after this information's investigated to give it my attention. We'll have to move quickly on this, within the next couple of days, I'm guessing. If it pans out, I'll make sure you get to walk away from it all. There are no guarantees, but I can make sure you get a chance."

Frostprow nodded. "That's better than I'd hoped for," she said. "What do I do until then?"

"Flynn, get Shiv and Nightwind in here."

Flynn poked his nose out and shouted for Renzik. When the goblin hurried up, he asked him for Nightwind as well. "We think we have something," he said. Renzik nodded and dashed off to get the elf.

Once the two of them arrived, Mathias looked at Frostprow. "Tell them everything you just told me. I have to go report this to the King." He stood from behind his desk and took Flynn by the shoulder. "Come with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Johnny's sea shanty is Bully in the Alley. This version is lead by one of the singers of Kimber's Men. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS5xR7jBxDw


	3. The Restless Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a cliffie. Be warned.

The discussion at the Keep was short, and getting a team together to investigate took less time than Flynn anticipated, because it was so damned small. He'd originally assumed he'd have to fight Mathias to go along, but the fact that Flynn had been to Shield's Rest before and knew something of the lay of the land helped. "This is the closest thing we've had to a lead in months," Mathias said. Anduin stood next to him, arms crossed over his chest as he listened. "We can't risk losing this. If you can help, you're coming. You've been to the island. You're a competent fighter, and I know you're capable of being stealthy if the situation calls for it. I know I can trust you to have my back."

"I think you should take Magister Umbric along," Anduin said. "If you manage to retrieve the val'kyr, you'll need a Mage for a portal to get out of there quickly. We need to know what, if anything, she knows. We need to know _why_ the kvaldir would have her, what they want from her. Why isn't she with Sylvanas? Was she exiled, or did she leave voluntarily? Are there others who've somehow escaped Slyvanas's influence?"

"Umbric was useful for the treasury mission," Mathias said. "I agree, he'll be a good addition. A fast in and out is best, with minimal numbers to avoid notice. With any luck, we'll be there and gone before they know anything's happened."

"Hopefully, Umbric's also capable of killing things," Flynn said, "because I don't think just stealth will get us in and out of there. Not if we have to haul an injured val'kyr along with us. Tides know if she'll fight us or not when we try to pull her out. If she's even still alive." He paused. "Well, not exactly _alive_ , but you know what I mean."

"Oh, he's capable," Mathias said. "We sent him on a lot of missions during the war. Having some ranged capability for this will also be useful, if we get into a fight."

Flynn nodded. "Right then. That sounds good. I'd like more people along, but more people would attract more attention. And you really don't want to get too close to those kvaldir. Nasty blokes. Also, they stink."

"I don't care what they smell like," Mathias said, "I'm planning to avoid them as much as possible."

"Best plan, right there."

Anduin dismissed them and they went off to find Umbric. Mathias took them to the Stormwind Embassy. "He's usually in the Telgorus Rift," he said. 

"Never heard of it."

"It's the base of operations for the ren'dorei," Mathias told him. "Umbric is their leader. Now that the war's over, he's been spending most of his time there, when he isn't in the Mage Quarter consulting with the scholars here." 

"Spooky sorts, the ren'dorei," Flynn said. "Got more tentacles than Kul Tiran art."

"Don't start on the tentacles," Mathias grumbled.

They found the void portal, guarded by one of the ren'dorei, and approached. The portal was intensely black and purple, a nothingness given form, and it made Flynn's eyes hurt. It was a lot like the portal Umbric had made for them into and out of the treasury.

"We need to see Magister Umbric," Mathias told the guard. 

She nodded and gestured. "Step through," she said.

Flynn had been too busy running the last time he'd stepped through a void portal to really note what it felt like. It was creepy. Worse than regular portals creepy. Not in any kind of quantifiable way, but in a make your skin crawl and send a shudder down your spine way, and he really didn't want to have to do it too often unless he was far too preoccupied to notice. That, though, would likely mean running for his life again, and he kind of wanted to minimize that bit.

The landscape on the other side of the void portal was desolate and just as purple as the portal itself. Flynn didn't care for it at all. It was dim and creepy and smelled like… he didn't know what. Something creepy and voidy and magical. Nothing at all like anything he recognized and, at this point, he'd settle for rotting fish in a late summer low tide. Things were floating all around, just sitting there in the air, and there was some strange moon or planet or something hanging low and tentacular in the sky, and he wasn't entirely certain if it was even safe to be walking around and breathing here.

Mathias looked at him. "Are you all right?"

Flynn couldn't tear his gaze from the desperately wrong sky. "This is disturbing. Let's do what we came to and get out of here. Fast." The whole situation left him wanting to shudder. He clamped down on the urge.

He followed Mathias, who inquired as to Umbric's whereabouts, sticking close. He'd have taken the man's hand if he thought he could get away with it. Umbric was in a large tent, apparently in the middle of some kind of lecture or conference and Flynn hoped they'd not have to wait for the Magister to finish, because the longer he was in this place, the more stressed he got.

Thankfully, Umbric looked up and saw them waiting; he excused himself from the group and stalked over. "Master Shaw. I trust this is actually of sufficient importance to interrupt my work. I have a great deal to do."

"You know I'd never come here casually, Magister." Umbric stared at them both for a moment. It felt like he could see right through Flynn, and Flynn was already unnerved enough. "Is there somewhere we can speak privately?" Mathias asked.

Umbric eyed them, undecided, then nodded. "This way." He gestured and they followed him through the strange ren'dorei settlement toward a cluster of small, private tents. Umbric entered one and he gestured to cushioned seats inside. "Please," he said, once everyone was seated. "Do explain why you've interrupted my critical research."

"We have a lead," Mathias said. "Finally. A source pointed us toward an injured val'kyr in Stormheim. If she's still alive, we need to retrieve her for whatever information she may have about Sylvanas and her location."

There was a sudden change in attitude at that. "Oh? Tell me more." Umbric's head tilted over steepled fingers.

"The val'kyr, if she's still alive, is probably being held somewhere on Shield's Rest. It's a dangerous location, far from everything else in the Broken Isles. Flynn, here, has been there before; he knows the lay of the land. Getting the val'kyr out quickly and unseen will require a portal back to Stormwind."

"Any Mage could provide you with a portal," Umbric said, unimpressed.

"You're not just any Mage," Mathias insisted. "We've worked with you before, personally. You're a known quantity with an excellent record of service during the war. If you help us bring information to the King about Sylvanas, it would certainly help emphasise the skills and reliability of the ren'dorei. I'm under the impression that you wish to continue to prove your people's worth to the Alliance."

"A blatant attempt at manipulation," Umbric said, "but a valid point, nonetheless. Very well, you've convinced me to participate. When does this operation commence?"

"Immediately. We don't even know if the val'kyr is still alive. She was last seen eight days ago. The longer we wait, the less chance we have of getting anything useful out of this."

With a sigh, Umbric nodded. "Very well. Allow me a few minutes to gather supplies. You may go. I shall meet you at the Embassy in Stormwind shortly."

Flynn nodded eagerly. "Let's get out of here." He gestured back toward the portal.

"Thank you, Magister. We'll see you soon." Mathias rose and Flynn followed, dogging his heels closely. "Will you need anything for the trip? We'll be portaling to Azsuna and flying from there."

"Should probably grab a couple of healing potions," Flynn muttered to himself. They stepped through the void portal back into Stormwind, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He laid a hand on Mathias's arm. "We need to be careful. The kvaldir are tough, the Helarjar are tougher, and that fog around them makes everything worse."

"How did you end up on Shield's Rest, anyway?"

Flynn shrugged. "Shipwrecked there once. Lost most of the crew. I was a lot younger then, and one of the lucky ones. A few of us managed to steal a kvaldir ship and escape, but the things I saw…" He shuddered. "I don't want a repeat."

"We'll make it as fast as possible. Stay low, do the job, get out. This is what I do, Flynn. You know that."

"I know," Flynn said, nodding. It didn't help his uneasiness at all.

***

The flight from Azsuna to Shield's Rest was a long one, passing over Suramar and all of Stormheim. Flynn kept an eye on Mathias, who flew in the lead, hoping that passing so close to the remains of Felsoul Hold wasn't going to raise too many terrible memories for the man. He wondered if Mathias would have nightmares again that night but hoped not. They happened sometimes, when something reminded him too much of his captivity during the invasions. Umbric flew close behind them.

He'd have felt a little easier if they'd sailed in on the _Bold Arva_ , because then they'd at least have had the crew for backup, but there just wasn't time. Flynn knew that flying was the fastest way, but he didn't have to like it. Much as he'd have preferred it, the _Arva_ would have been too visible, too obvious, and he didn't want to put his crew in that much danger any more than he wanted to risk Mathias.

It was what the man did, though, as he'd said. He was the Alliance's Spymaster, and some things were just too important to be left to minions. Anything having to do with Sylvanas Windrunner fell into that category at this point, and Flynn was glad to have the right skills and information to be able to go along and watch his back for this mission, no matter how bad his own memories of Shield's Rest were.

They set down at the flightmaster, in an isolated vrykul outpost. "Watch yourselves, outsiders," the vrykul told them. "The kvaldir have been quiet recently, but it will take nothing to rouse them to a fury again."

"We're planning to go in as quietly as possible," Mathias said. Flynn knew he and Mathias could stealth in, but a Mage's invisibility didn't last very long, so they'd best only use it to get through the worst of the trip. "Did you see anything unusual about a week ago? We heard rumor that the kvaldir here had a captive."

The vrykul grunted. "It's possible. They have been thick around the Tomb of the Old Kings for the last week. If they have a prisoner, that could explain things."

"Thanks," Mathias said. "That's helpful." 

They headed off up the trail toward the center of the island, with Flynn in the lead. He sighed. "This is what I was afraid of. If they were keeping her out in the open, it would be easier, but we're likely to have to deal with a lot of them in a contained space. There are three main chambers in the tomb that I remember. I didn't spend any real time inside the place when I was shipwrecked here, but I saw enough of it for a lifetime."

"Do you know if there were any passages or alcoves?" Mathias asked.

"Raised platforms with stairs on either side leading up at the far end of each one from the doors, but I don't know if there were other chambers or entrances. I wasn't eager to get close enough to find out."

Once they reached the rise, they concealed themselves in some bushes and looked down over the wide, open plain below. Flynn got out his spyglass and looked the area over. The space was obscured by large patches of fog, but Flynn could see the Helarjar mistcallers, and patrolling hunters with their glowing, skeletal helhounds moving in groups. "There might be a route around the outside of the area, to the right. You can see the entrance to the tombs in the cliff across from us." He handed his spyglass to Mathias, who looked as well.

"I see. It does seem like we could get fairly close to the entrance without calling attention to ourselves." He turned to Umbric. "How long does your invisibility spell last?"

"About twenty seconds," Umbric said, looking down at the mess below them.

"I can extend that a bit with a shroud of concealment." He looked at Flynn. "Do you know how to do that?" 

Flynn nodded. "Don't use it much, but it's come in handy before."

"So we'll have almost a minute of invisibility for you, if we manage it carefully."

"We'll have to run for it once we get past the guards at the front. We can stun them both and then go for Umbric's stealth options," Flynn said. "But, if you want, I can go in by myself to scout it out first. Make sure we know how many we'll be facing and where."

Mathias gave him an uneasy look. "I'd feel better if I were the one doing the scouting."

"We're not going to argue about this," Flynn insisted, glaring at Mathias. "Of the two of us, I'm the expendable one, and we both know it. If something happens to me, you and my crew and maybe Taelia are the only ones who would care. If you go down? The entire Alliance gets screwed. You know that. I know it. Umbric knows it." Flynn gestured to each of them in turn, and Umbric shifted nervously but said nothing. "So let's get down there to the bushes by the doors, then I'll go in and confirm whether or not we even have a target, okay?"

"I'm allowed to resent the fact that you're mostly correct," Mathias grumbled.

"Business now, resentment later," Flynn said. "Let's go."

They kept their heads down and skulked as best they could along the route they'd chosen, trying to make use of the same concealing fog that protected the kvaldir. Umbric's presence, while necessary, was also more than a little bit of a hindrance and, at one point, Mathias had to extend concealment for the Mage to keep them from being discovered.

Finally, they found themselves in a cluster of trees and bushes by the entrance to the Tomb of the Old Kings. Flynn took a bracing breath and Mathias lay a hand on his arm. "Good luck," he murmured, his green eyes meeting Flynn's. 

Flynn kissed him, just a quick peck on the lips. "I'll be back so fast you won't even know I was gone," he whispered. A deep breath, and Flynn slipped into stealth, creeping silently past the door guards.

The inside of the tomb complex was crawling with Helarjar, all of them busy. Flynn skirted the edge of the long central corridor to the right, heading for the end. He had to pause a few times to let them pass if they got too close. The damned things stank like rotting fish and seaweed. Normally, Flynn liked the smell of seaweed, but this reek was seaweed from the depths of death's abyss itself. 

He ducked into the chamber on the right. There weren't many of the kvaldir in that one, and no sign of the val'kyr they hoped to find. Nervous, Flynn made his way directly across to the chamber on the left. That one was more inhabited, with quite a few kvaldir Mages doing some kind of ritual but, again, no sign of the val'kyr. Backtracking, Flynn went into the central chamber at the far end of the corridor from the entrance.

The chamber had about fifteen kvaldir in it, and a cage on the main level of the floor, near the stairs going up to the end platform on the right. Inside the cage was a val'kyr, leaning against the bars. She was obviously wounded and seemed in pain. She didn't look like she was going to last much longer, really. Flynn took a quick look around the area. There were a couple of alcoves that looked like there might be doors in them, but he couldn't tell from a distance. He snuck as close as he comfortably could.

Yep. Doors. And no way of telling what, or who, was behind them. This whole thing was going to suck like a bilge pump. Whatever happened, it was going to be a fight, and Mathias was going to have to pick the lock to get the val'kyr out of the cage. With any luck, he and Umbric could hold off the assault until Mathias was done, and then he and Mathias could keep up the defense until Umbric had the portal opened. Flynn didn't like the odds. At all. He eased back out, more quickly than he'd gone in.

Mathias relaxed slightly when Flynn reappeared. "She's in there," Flynn said. "She's in bad shape. Probably not going to last more than another couple of hours. If we want the information, we're going to have to get it out of her soon."

"Where?" Mathias asked.

"Final chamber at the far end of the corridor. At least fifteen in the chamber itself, another ten in the corridor. Chamber on the left has half a dozen Mages. Only four in the chamber on the right. The cage is near the foot of the stairs up to the platform on the right within the central chamber. There are doors leading in from other places, but they were closed, so I've got no idea what, if anything, is behind them or if they're just doors into mausoleums, uninhabited."

Mathias sighed. "That's going to be tough."

"What happens will likely depend on how long it takes you to pick the lock," Umbric said. "It takes ten seconds to cast a portal spell, and I can't do it while I'm fighting."

"We'll keep them off you as best we can," Flynn said, still not convinced the operation was going to work. "There are a lot of them, Mathias. I'd prefer to forget it and walk away, but I know you can't. If this goes bad, it's going to go very, very bad. Kvaldir are tough bastards and the Helarjar are even worse. It's not going to be like taking down some bruisers in Dampwick."

Mathias nodded. "Stuns and slows, as much as you can. Blind them so they can't attack. We don't have to kill all of them, as long as we can keep them away from what we're doing. If we can sap a few going in, all the better."

"The noise of fighting is likely to draw the closest ones from the corridor into the room," Umbric said.

"And from there, the shouting will bring the rest of them. We're looking at ten to one odds, at best, likely more," Flynn said. "I didn't see any way to seal the end chamber when I was in there. We can't just slam a door in their faces to keep the ones in the corridor out."

"If she knows something about Sylvanas's plans, or her location, the information will be worth it, no matter the cost," Mathias told him.

"I hope you're right," Flynn breathed. He hoped the cost wasn't too high, because there were prices he wasn't willing to pay.

"All right," Mathias said. "Are we ready?"

"Who takes the first shroud of concealment when Umbric's invisibility is about to end?" Flynn asked.

"You," Mathias answered. "We'll need to count it down from his twenty seconds. After that, fifteen from you. Then fifteen from me, if we need it."

"It should be enough to get us in the door if we run and don't stop," Flynn said. "Just stick close as you can, Umbric."

"All right, gentlemen, it's time," Umbric said. Flynn and Mathias went into stealth and Umbric flickered out of view. They ran.

Flynn kept count in his head, breathless as they slipped around the kvaldir in the corridor. When he got to Umbric's twenty seconds, he threw out his concealment. Umbric was on his heels, and they were most of the way down the corridor. When Flynn's shroud was about to expire, Mathias took over, and they ducked and dodged between their enemies, the two of them sapping the ones at the door to the end chamber, and arrived behind the cage just as Umbric's cover expired.

All three of them were breathless when they got to the cover of the cage. The val'kyr startled as they appeared. Mathias gestured to her for silence, a finger at his lips, and she nodded. "Cover me while I pick the lock," he whispered to Flynn and Umbric. He'd have to go round to the front of the cage, and that would expose him. Someone was going to see them, it was inevitable. The question was, exactly when?

Flynn nodded and stealthed again, moving out in front of the cage, between Mathias and the rest of the room. He slid over behind the nearest kvaldir and sapped her. He hoped it would give Mathias another few seconds before they were noticed and chaos broke loose. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mathias and Umbric move, with Mathias crouching in front of the cage door, starting to work.

He'd only been at it a couple of seconds when they were spotted and Flynn moved to kidney shot the first one to react. He spun away and went for a gouge on the next nearest one as Umbric started slinging spells around. Pink and purple energies lit up the room as Flynn moved. More kvaldir ran toward them, shouting, mist and tendrils everywhere, and Flynn did his best to stay between them and Mathias, dodging, and blocking weapons as Umbric slowed the kvaldirs' movement. The longer the fight went on, the worse it was going to get and the more of them they'd have to face, so he hoped that Mathias was fucking quick about the lock picking.

He saw a stream of arcane missiles arc from Umbric's hands, striking several times, then the Mage flickered and stepped through a void portal, dodging the blow of a huge axe; Umbric dropped the warrior with a spell. Flynn saw the val'kyr leaning toward Mathias, speaking urgently to him. Her eyes flicked up past Flynn's shoulder and widened, and he turned, only to see a kvaldir winding back to throw a javelin at Mathias.

A flick of Flynn's arm sent his grapple flying, and he was slashing at the kvaldir in an instant, but that instant wasn't fast enough. "Mathias!" he bellowed, shooting the kvaldir in the face with his pistol. Mathias didn't have time to react, though. The javelin struck his back, piercing him through, part of it emerging from his chest. He collapsed with a bloodied cough against the bars of the cage.

Frantic, Flynn threw himself across the room toward his fallen lover. "Umbric! Portal! _Now!_ "

He watched as Umbric turned and saw Mathias, the javelin protruding from his back like something obscene, struggling for breath as blood bubbled from his lips; he clung to a bar of the cage with one hand, his other clutching the javelin where it emerged from his chest. Flynn was next to Mathias in a moment, standing over him, fending off three kvaldir with everything he had. Umbric flickered and was by his side in the next instant.

"I need ten seconds," Umbric snapped, sharp and already casting.

"He's dying!" Flynn shouted, blocking a sword with one cutlass and slashing with the other. He kicked the leg out from under another kvaldir, dropping it to one knee.

The val'kyr, panting in pain, said, "I will… give him... what is left… of my life. Minutes, only." She shuddered and Flynn fought with all his strength, hacking and cutting and shooting; Mathias was spitting blood, barely able to breathe as he slumped to the floor. Flynn's cutlasses were everywhere; he was desperate and cold as ice as he tried to protect them all. The val'kyr wailed a horrifying sound, and a spiral of energy -- green and purple and black -- rose up from her mouth and covered Mathias, slipping into his body through the wounds made by the javelin. Mathias's body spasmed and stilled and Flynn screamed at the kvaldir as he slashed and defended, blowing the face off another as it got too close.

He took a blow to one shoulder that staggered him, but he stayed on his feet, landing a punch that knocked the kvaldir back and away from them, stunning it as he turned his attention to another, blocking its axe.

The Stormwind portal bloomed next to them and Flynn ducked and rolled, hoisting Mathias in his arms. The javelin was covered with his blood and Mathias was barely breathing, bleeding out quickly from the massive wound. It was awkward to carry him and Flynn knew he was hurting him more, but he had no choice. "Hang on," Flynn gasped, "hang on, Mathias. I have you."

Flynn launched himself through the portal.


	4. Desperation

The portal arrival area was packed with people, and there was barely room to move. "Make a hole!" Flynn bellowed, "Get out of the fucking way! Healers! I need some healers!"

He was barely conscious of the fact that Umbric was on his heels. The crowd around him parted like a school of fish in front of a shark as Flynn ran for the spiral ramp out of the portal room. "I need to get him to the Healer's Hall, now! He's dying!"

A voice at the foot of the ramp to the outside door shouted, "Down here! I can portal you!" Flynn ran, flat out, and skidded to a stop as a Mage started opening a portal. Two Druids cast healing spells on Mathias as Flynn panted, breathless, while he waited for the portal to open; green energy and ethereal leaves floated around Mathias's still form. He knew it wasn't usually done to portal anyone somewhere that wasn't a main city hub, but Mathias didn't have time for rules and regulations, and if this bloke could get them to the Healer's Hall by the Cathedral, that was the only thing that mattered. A Priest cast a heal as well, light flashing through the room.

"It's Shaw," a voice said, shocked. He heard the words ripple through the crowd, and more healers came, reaching out to him, all lights and water and leaves, keeping Mathias breathing for another few seconds while the Mage worked. When the new portal opened, Flynn dashed through and shouted for help as soon as he had breath on the other side.

The Priests at the Healer's Hall were shocked when Flynn and Umbric burst into the room through the portal, seemingly from nowhere. "Help him!" Flynn shouted. Everyone stared for a second before they burst into frantic motion around them.

Mathias was taken from his arms, and Flynn followed like a hunting hound at the heels of the healers who had him. Commands were shouted and energies flared, but the panic didn't stop. Something was wrong; something beyond just the fact that Mathias had a fucking javelin all the way through his body. They managed to remove the thing without killing him, though he could see that had been a close thing. There was so damned much blood.

"There's poison, but it's not resolving with our cure spells," one dwarven Priest said. "Something's renewing it, stacking the effects. It's getting worse."

Another healer was examining the javelin. "It's cursed," she said. "The curse is interfering with all of our healing."

Everyone was putting a hand in, but it didn't look like Mathias was improving at all, and the healers were getting more upset by the moment. "Umbric," Flynn said, shaking, "get the King. Now. They're going to lose him. If anyone can help, it'll be Anduin."

Startled, Umbric nodded. "I concur. I hope he'll come."

"If he wants his Spymaster alive, he'd damned well better," Flynn snapped.

Umbric ran, and Flynn watched helplessly as every healer in the place took their turn, draining their mana dry casting healing spells as they tried to keep Mathias alive. He'd known -- he'd _known_ \-- that going to Shield's Rest was going to be a bloody disaster. He wished he'd asked them to bring more backup. He wished he'd been faster, wished he'd been stronger, wished he'd taken the damned javelin himself, instead of Mathias.

He felt sick to his stomach. He was covered in blood, most of it Mathias's, and his shoulder ached where he'd been cut open. Mostly, Flynn felt numb. A little dizzy, he found himself a chair and sank into it while chaos raged around him. Someone cut Mathias's chest armor off him, exposing his skin, and the raw wound the javelin had left. It had already closed most of the way, but Flynn knew from unfortunate personal experience that just because they'd sealed the wound and stopped the bleeding, it didn't mean things were any better.

He wasn't sure how long it was before Anduin came tearing into the place, breathless, with Umbric on his heels. There was a frantic conversation and Anduin examined the spear, his eyes narrowing as he held it in one gloved hand. Then, his attention turned to Mathias, who lay pale as a ghost on the bed where the healers were still working over him, bloody and struggling to breathe. 

Anduin moved next to the bed and stripped off his gloves. He laid his hands on Mathias's chest and leaned in, and things started to glow. Slowly, the light grew and became more intense until it was nearly blinding; Flynn could see tendrils of mist and seaweed being forced out of Mathias's body by it, and the wispy purple-black-green of the val'kyr's sustaining spell rising up from him as well. Finally, Anduin took a deep breath and _pushed_ , his teeth gritted in an absolutely grim expression, and the entire room exploded in light, searing Flynn's eyes. He raised one arm to cover them, and the light left him seeing spots. As suddenly as it had filled the room, it went, collapsing into Mathias's body. The only sounds were a few quiet clicks as several barnacles dropped to the floor and bounced, rolling away through the mess of blood and seaweed and armor on the floor.

Breathless, Anduin straightened. He wobbled slightly, and Umbric steadied him with one hand on his shoulder. Flynn looked back at Mathias, whose breathing had eased. He wasn't quite so pale now, but he still looked far too close to death for Flynn's comfort.

"He should…" Anduin paused for breath. "He should live. The curse was… very powerful." The healers all gathered around, murmuring to one another, and Anduin turned to Flynn. He paced to where Flynn sat, and rested a hand on his unwounded shoulder. "Flynn."

Flynn blinked up at him. "I did everything I could. It wasn't enough," he rasped, his voice harsh with too much emotion.

"It _was_ enough," Anduin said, his voice soft. "You brought him home alive." He passed one hand over Flynn's injured shoulder, and the wound closed with a shimmer of light; the pain vanished. "He _will_ recover, it's just going to take time."

Flynn shuddered. He wrapped his arms around himself and shook for a few minutes as Anduin stood there, and then Anduin's hand was in his hair, petting him like a child, trying to soothe him. 

"I'll be all right," Flynn said, "as long as he is." He took a harsh breath, not looking up, just letting his head hang. "How long?"

"He'll be here in the Healer's Hall for several days before he can go home. A few weeks after that before he's able to work again, and that, only in the office," Anduin said. "It was too close. He probably won't wake until tomorrow sometime, at least."

Flynn's eyes closed and he buried his face in his hands. "She was talking to him, the val'kyr, before he got hit. I don't know what she said. I wasn't close enough to hear anything and I… I was really kinda busy trying to keep us all alive."

"So he may have learned something." Anduin's voice was hopeful.

"I hope so," Flynn murmured. "Thinking that this… that he'd been so badly hurt, all for nothing…"

"You should wash and get some clean clothes," Anduin said. "You're covered with blood."

Flynn nodded. "I know."

Umbric said, "I can accompany you if you wish to go home. I suspect it's best if you don't walk alone right now."

Flynn considered objecting, but he knew he was a mess. He also knew that if he went home alone, he might not be able to cope just yet. "Okay. Fine. But I'm coming back here afterwards."

"I'll have someone inform SI:7," Anduin said.

Flynn nodded. "Somebody should." He rose, unsteady on his feet, and Umbric took him by an elbow. Flynn looked Anduin in the eyes. "Thank you. I can't ever thank you enough for what you just did." 

"He'll be all right," Anduin said. "It's going to take time, but he'll be all right."

***

Renzik's day had been only moderate levels of misery so far, but when he saw the glint of a Royal Guard's armor coming up the stairs toward his office, he had the sinking feeling that things were about to take a turn for complete and utter shit. The Royal Guard never showed up unless it was seriously bad news. Alliance-level bad news.

He was on his feet and pulling the guard into his office before his brain was in gear. He shut the door behind them. "What happened?"

"It's Master Shaw," the guard said, her voice steadier than Renzik suddenly felt. He'd always known Shaw might check out while he was on a mission someday, but he really hoped today was not that day.

"Is he still alive?" 

The guard nodded. "He's at the Healer's Hall. The King was able to save him."

"Damn," Renzik said. If Wrynn had to get involved, it was more than just serious. Shaw must have been all but dead. "I'll head over there right now. Thanks." He opened the door to let her out and bellowed down the stairs. "Nightwind! With me! Now!"

He followed the guard down the stairs; Nightwind was hurrying toward him. "Shiv? What's happened?'

"It's Shaw," he said, waving for Nightwind to follow him. "Healer's Hall, now." They ran for the stables and grabbed a couple of gryphons, that being faster and easier than running all the way across town toward the Cathedral.

They arrived in minutes and were shown to the room where Shaw lay, looking barely better than dead. Fairwind was sitting there next to Shaw's bed, his hair damp and scraggly, and it was pretty obvious he'd been sent home to clean up, because by the looks of Shaw, Fairwind had probably been soaked with his blood when they arrived. Fairwind was clutching Shaw's hand like he'd never let go again, looking like he was the one who'd nearly died. Nightwind took up a position just inside the door, watching and guarding. One of the healers remained with them, a draenei woman, who looked half-exhausted herself.

"What happened?" Renzik asked. "Did you get the information you went for?"

Fairwind looked up at him, stricken. "I don't know. The val'kyr was talking to him when he was hit. There were just… there were so many of them. More than I'd realized, because Mathias couldn't fight while he was picking the lock. And then Umbric was casting the portal, and it was just me… I did everything I could, but there were just too many; it was more than ten to one. We were lucky any of us got out alive."

"Umbric's still with us?" Renzik asked. Flynn nodded, silent. "Then you did good. All of you came home. Sometimes that's all you can ask from a mission, just get out alive. If Shaw has information, we'll just have to wait until he can share it with us."

"He'd been struck by a kvaldir javelin," the healer in the room with them said. "It had been driven all the way through his chest. It destroyed one of his lungs. There was poison, and an extremely powerful curse in operation as well."

"And Wrynn had to come sort him out," Renzik said, shaken by the information.

The draenei nodded. "Even with everyone on duty, it was too much. The curse had pushed the poison to renew every few seconds, and it just kept getting worse, stacking over and over. He'd lost an immense amount of blood and was barely breathing. Magic was the only thing holding Shaw together when he was brought in."

"The val'kyr," Fairwind explained. "She… she gave him the last of her life energy, said it would only be enough for a few minutes, but it got us here."

Nightwind spoke. "Then she must have told him something important. She'd not have done it if he didn't have information she wanted us to have."

"That's what I'm hoping," Fairwind said. "Himself said it was going to be at least tomorrow before Mathias wakes up. You don't have to stay. I'll be here." He looked at Nightwind. "Trust me, Rell, nothing's getting through that door while I'm here."

Nightwind looked at Renzik. Renzik shook his head. "Nope. Nightwind stays here with you. You've been dragged through the abyss today, pal. You need some rest, too. I don't care if it's here or at home, but Nightwind can watch over both of you here if you need to sleep."

Fairwind relaxed slightly, as though he'd imagined Renzik was going to leave him and Shaw without a bodyguard after all this. There might not be any threat here in Stormwind, but he knew Fairwind was in no condition to be thinking about that. The only thing the guy would see was danger everywhere, right now. If leaving Nightwind would ease that for him a bit, well, Renzik could do that. "Okay," Fairwind said. "Thanks."

"Right, I know you're not in any condition to be giving anybody a report right now, Fairwind, but you can talk to Nightwind anytime you're ready. I'll hear about it. Just… just keep an eye on Shaw, okay?" It was disturbing seeing the boss in that shape and, with him out of commission like this, Renzik's responsibilities were even heavier than usual.

He left Nightwind with Shaw and Fairwind and took his gryphon back to SI:7.

Trouble was waiting at the office. Romano was at Shaw's desk, making himself at home. "What on Azeroth are you doing here?" Renzik snapped.

Romano looked up from where he'd been picking the lock on one of the desk drawers. "I heard Shaw was dead. As the person of highest rank in the organization, the responsibility for SI:7 obviously falls to me."

Renzik looked down his nose at Romano, and he had a lot of nose to look down. "Nope. Not happening. The boss ain't dead, so things go on just like if he was in the field. Which means I'm still in charge, and _you_ are not. And, just so you understand the ranking system here, and our little chain of command, Shaw picked me to be in charge when he's not able to do the job. For situations exactly like this. Because he'll be back. It might be weeks, but I was in charge when he was in Boralus and gone for months. And me? I get to pick my own second during this crisis. That second, I should mention, is Rell Nightwind. Not you."

" _Nightwind?_ He's been away for years. I've been here the entire time. I know more about how this agency runs than he does." Romano was getting pretty heated. His face was starting to turn an interesting shade of red. "There should be a human at the head of SI:7, not a goblin."

Renzik laughed. "You've been teaching beginners from day one, Romano. You've never had your hands on any power in this agency and I will thank you to get your ass out of Shaw's chair, and your lockpicks out of his desk, before I haul you out of here bodily. Do I make myself clear?"

Romano's eyes narrowed, but he rose. "I'll take this up with the High King," he said, as though he actually believed that would have any impact whatsoever. Renzik figured he'd probably take it up with Greymane, as well, but even Greymane would probably be a little reluctant to see a shift of power under these circumstances.

"You do that," Renzik said. "I'll be waiting right here." He pointed at Shaw's desk. "But I can tell you right now, Wrynn was there at the Healer's Hall saving Shaw's ass personally. I doubt you're gonna get any satisfaction there." He glared at Romano. "Now _out_ , before I throw you out, and don't think I couldn't pick you up and fling you. I don't give a fuck that you're a noble. Here in this office, you're just an agent, like everybody else, and you answer to _me,_ you got that, bub?"

Romano growled but headed for the door. "We're not finished with this, Shiv."

"Maybe you're not. I'm done, though. Goodbye." He gave Romano a shove into the corridor and slammed the door behind him. He'd need to assign some eyes to that asshole. Maybe leaving Nightwind at the Healer's Hall had been a good idea after all.

***

Flynn sat at Mathias's bedside for hours, just holding his hand, his mind spinning with everything that had happened, everything he might have done differently. Rell sat in a chair by the door and, thank the Tides, he didn't feel a need to fill the time with talk. Flynn wasn't sure he could cope with talk right now. Mathias needed quiet and sleep, and if Flynn opened his mouth he'd babble endlessly, apologizing for everything that had gone wrong that day. Nobody wanted to hear that. Flynn didn't want to hear that. He just wanted to scream. And maybe kill things. But mostly to hold Mathias's hand and will him to keep breathing.

Eventually, he slept a broken sleep for a while, napping with his head pillowed on his arms on Mathias's bed, still unwilling to let go of his hand. It was awkward, but he didn't care. By the time he'd startled awake for the third time with the image of Mathias, run through by the javelin, in his head, it didn't matter that Nightwind was there, either. Everything was background noise for Flynn's exhaustion and his worry. Mathias had nearly died on his watch. They'd faced impossible odds and Flynn had known going in that it was going to be bad. Why in the Tidemother's name hadn't he tried to stop them?

Because the mission. Because a smaller group meant less chance of detection, even if it was risky. Because risk was what Mathias did. Because Mathias needed whatever information that Tides damned val'kyr had, and he'd apparently got his ears on at least some of it. Flynn didn't think it was worth nearly losing him. Worth the pain Mathias was going to be dealing with; the weakness, the exhaustion of recovery.

Done was done, though. There was nothing that Flynn could do about the past, like usual. The only thing he could do was be there for the man he loved. Be there and support him while he got better. Try to ease some of the pain, to keep his mind busy, to do things for him or with him if he needed help. Flynn sighed. He'd have to turn the _Arva_ over to Sonya while he was with Mathias during this. She was a good First Mate, and he knew she'd make a good Captain as well. She'd be able to handle everything in Flynn's absence.

He sat in the silence with Mathias and listened to him breathe. He rested one hand gently on Mathias's chest, just feeling his lungs fill, the soft rise and fall of his chest. He tried not to look too closely at the scarring that would remain, even after everything Anduin had done, like the scar of Flynn's gunshot wound. Flynn would carry the image of Mathias, pierced through by that javelin, collapsing and gasping for breath, for the rest of his life.

Moments like that haunted a man. Flynn's chest ached in sympathy with the horrific wound Mathias had sustained, his heart still tight with stress and fear. He'd probably have nightmares if he tried to sleep again, anything more than catnaps, but he knew he'd have to eventually. He couldn't just stay awake for the rest of his life. He rested his head near Mathias's and whispered quiet words of reassurance to him; that he was there, that he wasn't going anywhere, that he loved him. It was all he could do. He wished Mathias's eyes would open, wished he could hear the man's voice. The only thing Flynn wanted right now was for him to recover. He hoped Mathias could hear him.

They passed most of the night like that before Flynn finally hit a wall and couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. Rell was at the door. Nobody but the healers would be coming in or out. Flynn struggled against it, but lost. 

Sleep always won, in the end.


	5. Overconfidence

Mathias didn't wake until late the next afternoon. Flynn had spent the day fretting, with Rell nearby just watching everything with a patience Flynn couldn't understand. Maybe if you knew you'd live for thousands of years, that just happened. 

Mathias's first sign of consciousness was a little pained whimper and Flynn's attention focused, sharp as a needle. "Mathias," he murmured, caressing his matelot's stubbled cheek with his knuckles. "You're safe, love. Come back to me. We're in Stormwind and you're safe."

"I'll get a healer," Rell said, and he rose and hurried out of the room.

Mathias whimpered again, and his green eyes fluttered open, unfocused. He blinked a few times. "Come on, love, look at me." Mathias's eyes shifted in Flynn's direction, still not entirely there. He moaned, a soft, broken sound. "You hurt, don't you?" Mathias nodded, a tiny motion of his head. 

Flynn looked up as Rell and a gnome came hurrying in. She had curly black hair and violet eyes. "Has he said anything?" she asked.

"No, but I asked if he's in pain and he nodded."

She approached and got up to kneel on the bed next to Mathias. His head lolled in her direction, as though he barely had any control of his muscles. He probably didn't, really. "I'm going to give you a potion for the pain, okay?" she said. Mathias blinked and made a sound that seemed like agreement. She pulled out a little vial and uncorked it, tipping it into his lips, and Mathias swallowed, though it seemed to take some effort. A few moments later, some of the lines in his face eased and he sighed.

The gnome did a quick examination and nodded to herself, seeming satisfied. "He won't be awake for very long, but this is good. He's doing well. Let him rest as much as he can. I'll check back a few hours from now." She got up and left.

Flynn ran his hand gently through Mathias's hair. "Do you want some water, love?'

Mathias nodded. "Fl…"

"Don't try to talk. It's okay." Flynn poured a little water in a cup and tilted Mathias's head a bit, holding the cup to his lips so he could drink without spilling it. Mathias's eyes closed as he sipped, and Flynn let him rest. When he eased Mathias's head back onto the pillow, his eyes opened again and he looked at Flynn, more focused this time.

"Flynn." His voice was a rough rasp. His hand moved, and Flynn took it and squeezed. Mathias sighed. "Need t'... report."

Because of course. Mathias was duty, down to the bone, and Flynn had always known it. He gestured to Rell, who brought his chair closer and sat with them.

"I'm here, Mathias," Rell said.

It was painful to listen to him -- the rasp in his voice, the hesitation -- but Flynn knew he'd not let himself rest before he gave them what he had. He knew better than to waste Mathias's limited energy on arguing with him to rest.

"She… left Sylvanas." Mathias took a pained, shuddering breath. "Tried… return to… Eyir… but…" Mathias's eyes fluttered shut for a moment; he opened them again with an obvious effort. "Rejected." He panted for a moment and focused. "Said… Slyvanas and… Jailer. Someone called… Jailer… Don't know…" He moaned and shivered. "Don't know more."

Flynn and Rell looked at each other. "I can take this to Shiv," Rell said.

Mathias lapsed back into sleep, his body going slack, his fingers loosening from around Flynn's hand. Flynn shook his head. "No," he said, "I'll do it. Mathias probably isn't going to wake again for another few hours at least, and I need to get out of this room for a few minutes. I need to move or I'll go spare. I have to go down to the _Arva_ anyway. Let the crew know what's going on. Might as well do it now."

"If you're sure," Rell said.

"Stay with him." Flynn leaned down and kissed Mathias's forehead. He stood. "Just stay with him. I'll be back as soon as I'm done. Do you want me to bring you something to eat?"

Rell nodded. "I'd appreciate that. Anything is fine." He stood with Flynn and put a hand on his shoulder. "He'll get through this. So will you. You're not alone."

"I know," Flynn said. "Never had anyone before. Not like this. Not like I do now. It's… weird, really. Having people looking out for me. I've always been on my own, since I was a kid. Sometimes I don't know what to do with it." He shrugged. "Just… not used to having support. I only wish we weren't in a situation where I needed it."

Rell nodded. "I understand. Nonetheless."

"I'll be back." Flynn wandered out of the Healer's Hall. He'd go down to the ship first. Sonya and the crew might have heard rumors, after the commotion at the Mage Tower yesterday, but he didn't think most people knew what had actually happened. He walked, almost aimless, from Cathedral Square toward the docks, taking in the late afternoon sunlight. Normally, he'd have gone to the stables near his flat and got his riding parrot, but he needed the movement today. Needed to just walk.

He looked out to the horizon, over the harbor, as he made his way down the stairs from the city to the docks. The sun sparkled on the water, and he could smell the sea. It was different from the air in Boralus. Part of him missed his city. He wondered what Taelia was up to, what Cyrus might be doing, but none of that really mattered. His home was here now, lying in a bed in the Healer's Hall.

Bess, his Tidesage, was on watch when he got there. "Who's aboard?" he asked.

"It's me and Johnny and Sparks," she said.

Flynn nodded. "I need Sonya. Anyone know where she is?"

"Harbormaster's office," Bess said. "She heard there were some contracts posted, wasn't sure what you'd want. We… we heard that Shaw was hurt yesterday, heard maybe he was dead. Heard something about the Mage Tower. Sounded bad." There was worry in her voice.

Flynn nodded. "Yeah. It's bad. But that's what I need to talk to everyone about."

"Johnny!" Bess shouted. The sailmaker poked his head up from belowdecks.

"Aye?"

"Get over to the Harbormaster's office. Get Sonya. The Captain's here with news."

Johnny nodded. "Aye aye. I'm on it." The lanky mainlander ran. They'd be back in ten minutes or so, Flynn knew.

"Come on, my cabin." He gestured. "Sparks!" he shouted. "My cabin!"

Sparks slid down from the rigging where she'd been replacing some lines, and the gnome's feet hit the deck with a thump. She followed them. He led them into his cabin and got out a bottle of whiskey. He pulled glasses from the cabin for all of them.

"What happened?" Bess asked.

"When Sonya and Johnny get back," Flynn said. "I only want to say it once. You lot can tell the rest of the crew." Flynn poured the whiskey and handed one to Bess and the other to Sparks. He dropped into his chair and slugged back half his glass. "It was bad, mates. Really bad."

Bess sat in one of the other chairs. The Tidesage sighed. "You never know, what with the rumor mill here in Stormwind." 

Sparks nodded. The gnome leaned her shoulder against the table and sipped at her whiskey. "Whatever happened, you know we've got your back."

Flynn stared into his glass. "I know, mates, and I appreciate it."

They waited for a few, drinking together until Johnny and Sonya arrived. Flynn handed each of them a glass when they got to the table. "Have a seat," he said. "I know you lot heard some rumors about yesterday. Don't know what they were, but the truth is pretty bad."

"Well," Sonya said, her broken ear twitching, "you're here and you're less of a mess than I expected, so the rumor that Shaw's dead isn't true, at least."

Flynn nodded. "It was a near enough thing, though." He sighed and knocked back the rest of the whiskey in his glass. "We went to Shield's Rest in Stormheim. Terrible place."

Sonya nodded. "I remember. Been there. Crawling with kvaldir." She'd been with Greymane at Greywatch at one point, she'd said.

"Aye. And we had to sneak in to try and get some information. Things went bad, fast. We were fighting, seriously outnumbered, and Mathias got hit. It was awful. It took the High King himself to keep him alive once we got him back here. Thank the Tides we took a Mage with us. We needed a portal to Stormwind or he'd be dead, no question." He wasn't sure how much else he could say without falling apart, because even thinking about it was horrifying.

"How is he now?" Johnny asked, his brown eyes sympathetic.

Flynn sighed and shook his head. He wanted another drink but knew he shouldn't. "Sleeping. He didn't wake until just before I came here. Wasn't awake for more than about two minutes, and barely able to speak. He's in a lot of pain, still. Won't be out of the Healer's Hall for another few days. It'll be weeks before he's back to work." He looked at Sonya. "That's… that's why I needed to talk to all of you. I wish everyone was here, but I know folks are at home when they're not on watch."

Sonya nodded. "What do you need, Flynn?"

"For the moment, until things get better, the _Arva's_ yours, Sonya. You're a fantastic First Mate, and I hate to give you the captaincy and then take it back when Mathias gets better, but I need somebody who can take her out on contracts and bring her back in one piece. I can trust you with her, and with the crew. I know you'll do a good job for me."

Sonya nodded. "I understand. Believe me. And I don't resent it at all. I'll have my own ship someday, but I know the _Arva's_ not mine." She shrugged. "Maybe when you get a third ship, like you were talking when you made the company, you'll consider me."

"You'll be the first in line, trust me. I'll hate to have to replace you with a new First Mate, but you'll be a great captain. This… the whole thing may be a couple of months or more. I don't know yet. I think it's likely to be more complicated than anyone's told me, but I need Mathias to be out of the Healer's Hall before I can make any plans at all."

Sparks patted Flynn's knee. "We're all here for you, Flynn. You know that. And for your matelot. He's one of us, even if he doesn't believe it."

"Aye," Johnny said. "He came for us when we were in trouble. Saved all of us. The man's family. Anything either of you need, all you have to do is ask."

Flynn looked around at all of them -- worgen and gnome and Kul Tiran and mainlander -- and he realized that they really were family to him. "You lot know where we live," he said. "After the first week or so, Mathias is going to need something to do, maybe a little company. I know I will. If you're in port, come up. See us. Keep us company sometimes." He gave them half a smile, still not in the best mood. "One at a time though, or two if it's Thurin and Billie, or Grixx and Relly. I don't think he'd cope well with more than that in our flat."

"We will," Bess said. "Of course we will."

'I… I have to get up to SI:7 and give them my report about yesterday." He stood, a bit shaky. They all closed in around him and he found himself in a tangle of arms, warm and close. It was all too much, and he put his arms around them, as well, and finally let the tears fall that he'd been holding back since the whole mess happened. He knew they'd not judge him for it; they knew what Mathias meant to him. Flynn had never been sure what family meant, not after he'd lost his mother so young, but this… this felt like he'd imagined a family should. It felt like love, and it cracked him open. He wished Mathias could be here with them so that he could feel it, too. He held onto them, surrounded by them for long minutes, until his breathing steadied again and the silent tears stopped falling.

"You'll be okay," Sparks told him. "We'll see to it."

"Thanks," Flynn said, his voice rough. "Sonya, let me know when you ship out and when you come back. I know Bess said there were some contracts up. I just need to know where you lot are. And don't forget, you can always consult with Henry on the _Middenwake_ if they're in port in Boralus, if you need something and I'm not available."

"We'll probably need another crewman while you're away," Sonya said.

Flynn nodded. "Hire on whoever you need. I trust your judgement."

"Thanks, Captain," she said.

"I'm turning her over to you, Captain Miller." He saluted her and she snapped one back to him, sharp and proper. "Take good care of the old girl, will you?"

"On my life," Sonya said.

Flynn nodded. "And now, I have things to do, so I'll see you when I can."

They all bid him fair winds and following seas, and Flynn left them and headed up toward Old Town.

*** 

He decided to take a shortcut through Old Town when he got there, and slipped into an alley, wanting to bypass the busy streets. He wasn't much in the mood to deal with random strangers, nor with people staring, because they had been, every time he left the Healer's Hall. He was recognizable these days, like it or not, and after yesterday's disaster there was more of it than usual. While he mostly didn't mind, today wasn't a day when he wanted to have anyone talk to him.

He was halfway down the alley when he heard the quiet _thud_ of someone dropping to the ground from a height, and he turned. There, with a very smug look on his face, stood Lord Tony Romano. "Fancy meeting you here," Romano said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"What do _you_ want?" Flynn asked, annoyed. Romano looked like he was spoiling for a fight, and Flynn was absolutely in the mood to give him one, the scurvy dog.

Romano's head tilted. "I have plans," he said, "and you've been in the way of them for far too long." Flynn sighed. He was going to get the speech. Great. "Shaw's been in the way as well. You've turned into his greatest weakness, you know. At this point, given his condition, it seems that dispensing with you is likely to put him in his coffin as well." Romano smirked.

Flynn snorted. "You think you can take me, you insufferable squidspawn? _You?_ By yourself?"

Romano shook his head. "Oh, I'm not alone." He snapped his fingers and Flynn saw several more men drop from the rooftops around the alley, puny mainlanders to a one. "I won't even have to get my hands dirty." This had to be a joke. Flynn thought maybe he was insulted. Romano thought _they_ could take him? After yesterday and a room filled to the gills with kvaldir?

He laughed as he whipped out his cutlasses. He backhanded the one behind him to the right and heard the satisfying crunch of a nose breaking, and a shout of pain. That one would be out for a few seconds at least. "Setting your pups on me?" he said. He kicked the one in front on the left in the bollocks, then kneed him in the face when he doubled over, clutching his crotch. That one would be down for a little longer.

The others charged him; there were four when Flynn looked around, blocking the incoming daggers with his cutlasses. He wound up and landed a punch on one to the right, knocking him back into the wall; the bloke hit it with a huff. Flynn slashed to the rear with his left cutlass and opened the one behind him. He heard him go down with a gurgle. Probably out for the fight, Flynn thought with grim satisfaction.

"You say I'm a pirate," Flynn snarled, "a criminal. You think I'm nothing but a wharf rat, just _trash_." He shot a glare at Romano, who looked uneasy at how quickly Flynn was going through his men. Flynn blocked the one who was still standing on his left and spun to fire his pistol into the face of the one whose nose he'd broken; blood splattered in Flynn's face. The bloke hadn't wanted to stay down, so Flynn put him down permanently.

"Your pups haven't even dropped their milk teeth yet." Flynn kicked the knee out of the one who was in front of him now. Four to one, and Romano wasn't even in the fight. "Rule number one of an ambush, you bloody lackwit --" Flynn blocked another attack from his left, furious. He let loose with a flurry of attacks in an adrenaline-fueled spree that had him appearing behind each of the four, slashing and hacking. "Stab first and don't make your ridiculous speech until they're bleeding out at your feet." He gouged the one he'd kicked in the bollocks, blinding him and dropping him to his knees. Flynn kicked him in the head. "And that's only if you actually need to make a fucking speech in the first place."

The remaining three danced around him, dodging several of his strikes, trying to get below his guard. "Rule number two of an ambush," Flynn said, blocking two more dagger blows. "See rule one." The one on the left got inside Flynn's reach, but Flynn headbutted him, and the bloke went down, groaning.

Romano was getting genuinely alarmed as Flynn faced the last two. They stood, panting, and Flynn brushed blood from his eyes with one wrist. He grinned viciously and licked it off his skin, the bright copper taste of it burning on his tongue. "You wanted to fight a pirate, you scurvy son of a starfish? Here's your chance." Flynn threw himself at the two who were still standing on the right, knowing Romano would come in when he thought Flynn's back was open. Flynn shoulder checked one into the wall, knocking the wind out of him and slashed the other. That bloke staggered, bleeding everywhere, and Flynn tossed him into Romano, who hadn't been expecting the move. Romano was knocked off balance while Flynn made to deal with the last of the pups.

"The difference between me and your allegedly 'trained' assassins is that I fight to win, and I don't care how I have to do it." He belted the last of Romano's toughs with the guard of his cutlass, dropping him for the count. And now it was just him and Romano, and Flynn laughed. 

"Is this the best SI:7 can do? Because if it is, I'm gonna have to talk to Mathias about your training program."

"You don't dare kill me, you Kul Tiran scum. I'm nobility." Romano grinned an arrogant grin at him, obviously thinking it made him immune somehow. As though Flynn wasn't going to hand the obnoxious bastard his ass anyway. "And I'm better than any of the ones you just disposed of."

Romano was probably faster, and warier, Flynn figured, but he was still going down. Stupid fucker would have done better to attack alongside his men instead of standing back, afraid to get a little blood on his hands. Flynn tossed his grapple and dodged out of the way of Romano's lunge. He blocked a thrown dagger with his cutlass, knocking it away like it was nothing. "You're right, I can't kill you. That would look bad, mate. Former pirate disposes of his matelot's political rival?" Flynn feigned left and came at Romano with his right, but Romano blocked him. "Not the best idea, much as I'd love to gut you." That left Romano open for a kick, though, and Flynn nailed him in the hip with one heavy boot.

Romano lurched at the blow. "I could call the guards."

Flynn laughed, still moving. "Do it," he spat. "I'm sure they'd be thrilled to see a seven against one fight, and you claiming I came looking for you." He slashed and Romano blocked again. He charged Romano, backing him into the alley wall with his height and weight to his advantage, and backhanded him across the face with the pommel of his cutlass. Romano staggered. Flynn kneed him in the bollocks and Romano grunted.

"You think you can intimidate me, you arrogant fuckwit?" Flynn snarled. "I just went toe to toe yesterday with an entire Tides-cursed room full of kvaldir and carried my matelot out of the place while he was bleeding to death in my arms." He tripped Romano, who went face first into the dirt. Flynn heard one of the others get up and he spun, shooting him without a second thought. The man dropped, permanently this time. Romano rolled onto his back, reaching for another dagger. Flynn dropped a heel onto his chest, cracking at least one rib. He stood with his foot on Romano's chest, pressing into the break, and the blade of his cutlass at Romano's throat. "Nothing about you and your pack of dogs scares me, you gutless jellyfish. _Nothing._ "

Flynn hazarded a quick look around the alley. The ones who weren't dead were, wisely, staying down. " _Guards!_ " Flynn roared. " _Guards!_ "

Romano lay at his feet, glaring, and Flynn spit on him. "I didn't even work up a bloody sweat, you worthless piece of shit. The only thing you have is your _name._ Me? The Kul Tiran scum you hate so much? I've got Mathias Shaw for a matelot. I've got the Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras at my back. And I've got the fucking High King of the Alliance behind me, as well." Flynn could hear the sound of running feet coming closer. "I'm also staggeringly handsome and entirely too dashing for my own good. You? You're _nothing._ You've been pissing your life away training baby Rogues and thinking you're worth something because you're high born, but you've never done a damned thing in your life. You're not _better_ than me. I just put down six of your dogs, and then I beat _you_ while I was pulling my punches. If I weren't? Every bloody one of you lot would be _dead._ "

He saw several uniformed guards looking around and shouted again. "Guards, over here!"

Three of them ran into the alley and stopped, shocked by the sight. "What's going on here?" the dwarven one asked. She stared at the carnage.

"I'm Lord Tony Romano," Romano wheezed, "and this… this ruffian assaulted me!"

Flynn snorted. "Riiiiight, I decided to fight seven people in an alley just for fun." He looked at the guards. "Do you lot know who I am?"

One of the mainlanders nodded. "You're... Captain Fairwind, aren't you?"

Flynn nodded, not easing back on the blade of his cutlass. "Aye, that's me. _This_ bloke, and half a dozen of his dogs just tried to kill me." He smirked. "Unsuccessfully, I'll note. Not just a pretty face, me. I was on my way to SI:7 to report on the mission that Master Shaw and I were on yesterday. You may have heard that Shaw's in the Healer's Hall right now." And that still gutted Flynn.

All three of the guards nodded. "Is he all right, Captain?" the other mainlander asked.

"He's not well," Flynn said, "but he'll live, thanks to King Anduin. I was carrying a report from Master Shaw, and I need to get it there, now."

"We'll take over from here, Captain," the dwarf said. The two mainlanders made to put hands on Romano, who sputtered. Flynn stepped back to give them room and wiped the blood off his cutlasses onto one of his pants legs. He was going to have to wash up and change _again,_ damn it.

"We're not finished, Fairwind," Romano spat as the guards wrestled him to his feet, arms held behind him.

Flynn chuckled. "Yep. We are, and I suspect I'm the only one whose opinion counts at this point." He nodded to the guards, who nodded back. "I have a report to give. Fuck off, Romano. Abyss take you."

***

Renzik's eyes went wide when Fairwind showed up in his office. The big Kul Tiran was bloodied but apparently unbothered by it. "You okay?" Renzik asked.

Fairwind shrugged. "Eh. None of this is mine." He gestured dismissively at the blood.

"What, by all the gold in the treasury, just happened to you?" Renzik got up and went around his desk to have a closer look at Fairwind, not sure he believed the man wasn't hurt.

"Lord Stick Up His Ass happened. That lily-livered son of a scallop thought he and six of his pups could take me out. Ambushed me in an alley. Well, they _tried_ to ambush me in an alley but, I have to tell you, if that's the stuff you're training your people to do? You seriously need to reevaluate the program, mate."

"Fairwind! Did you get hit in the head, pal?"

Fairwind shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Nope. I'm an emotional wreck, I barely slept last night, and I had a nice, big glass of whiskey with my crew before I got here, but that lot didn't lay a blade on me. I swear, you couldn't have pulled off a worse ambush if you were trying. I'm insulted." He sounded like he actually was.

"Where's Romano now?" Renzik asked, not sure if he was shocked or not.

"The city guards have him. Not sure how many of his men were still alive when they got to me, but at least two, I think. Maybe."

"You sure you're okay?" Renzik's brow wrinkled and his ears went back with worry.

"Seriously, Shiv, I actually feel better for having kicked their teeth in. I spent all night last night worried sick about Mathias and that fight? Was really good for my anxiety level. I'm not kidding. I can highly recommend handing out a good ass-kicking when you're feeling like crap."

Renzik nodded. "Where's Nightwind?"

"Still with Mathias. He woke up for a few minutes earlier and gave what he could of a report. I needed to get out of the room for a few, and I knew he wasn't going to be waking up again soon, so I went for a walk and told Rell I'd bring you the info."

"Ah, okay." He went back to his chair. "What did the boss have to say?"

"Not much. He could barely speak. Said the val'kyr told him she'd left Sylvanas and tried to go back to Eyir and that lot, but they wouldn't have her. Said something about Sylvanas and somebody called Jailer, but that was it. Mathias didn't have any idea what she meant, and neither do I. Rell didn't recognize the name -- or maybe it was a title -- either."

Renzik sighed and shook his head. "Damn. All that for one word." He pulled out a piece of parchment and scribbled a note. "I'll get people looking into it. Somebody must know something. I hope." He shrugged. "Not like there aren't a ton of jailers around, but that was probably somebody specific. Or some _thing_ specific. I don't know."

"Me either, mate. I'm just repeating what Mathias told us, and that was bare bones. I really need a shower and to change my clothes. I'm going to have to dump this stuff in the tub and let it soak to get the blood out. Again. Tides, I think I may just get rid of everything from yesterday that got soaked with Mathias's blood." Fairwind looked disturbed, suddenly pale. "My coat…" he murmured, looking heartbroken.

"Hey, hey, Fairwind, he'll be okay. Wrynn said he'd be okay." The last thing Renzik wanted was Fairwind melting down on him.

Fairwind sighed and nodded, subdued. "I know," he murmured. "It's just… it's hard, okay?" He looked up at Renzik. "He's alive. No matter what else, he's alive. That's what counts. He was awake. He recognized me. He told us what he got, because that's what he's like -- all about the mission. He'll get through this because that's what he does. And I'll be there for him."

Renzik nodded. "I know you will, Fairwind. And you'll get through it, too, because that's what _you_ do." He poked a finger at Fairwind for emphasis. "You two need anything, you let me know. I need to look into Romano, make sure he's out of the way now. That slimeball was in here yesterday, trying to take over, if you can believe it. This'll be the nail in his coffin, trying to kill you. That, I can take to Wrynn. The House of Nobles'll drop that bastard like he was a poison apple."

"Trying to take over yesterday?"

Renzik snorted. "Got back from the Healer's Hall and he'd parked his ass in Shaw's chair. He was picking the lock on one of the drawers, if you can believe it."

Fairwind shook his head in disbelief. "He's got bollocks, I'll give him that."

"Yeah, well, he ain't got shit anymore. I'll see him go down for this. I'll have that son of a slime shoveling rylak shit at the Iron Siegeworks in Draenor for the rest of his sorry existence."

Flynn looked at him. "I've got no idea where that is, mate, but it doesn't sound good."

"It ain't."

Flynn laughed. "Look, I need to go…" he gestured at himself, "I need to clean up. And I need to get back to Mathias. Let me know what happens, yeah?"

Renzik nodded. "You got it, pal. Go. I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks, Shiv." Fairwind sighed and turned, his shoulders slumped.

Renzik hoped they'd both be okay.


	6. Slow and Steady

It was five days before the healers decided that Mathias was well enough to go home. He hadn't liked it much, but he had to agree that being able to actually walk across the room by himself was important. He didn't like the idea of having to be helped to the privy when he got home. It still hurt to breathe, and that wasn't particularly encouraging either, but they told him one of his lungs had been pretty much destroyed by the javelin that had pierced him, so he supposed it wasn't surprising that breathing was still painful.

Flynn had been there all along, and Rell Nightwind as well, both of them wary and guarding. When the healers finally released Mathias, he leaned on Flynn to walk out of the Healer's Hall. There was a gryphon waiting to take them home, and Flynn insisted that they ride together. It was probably for the best. Flynn sat behind him, his arms around him, keeping him steady. It felt good to lean against his broad, warm chest. One thing he'd missed desperately while he was in the Healer's Hall was Flynn in his bed, but there was no room in the narrow little bunk, and both of them had known the healers wouldn't have approved of Flynn actually trying to sleep on the tiny thing with him.

He was beyond exhausted by the time they got back to their flat, and Flynn had to help him up the stairs. It would have been humiliating if it weren't so necessary; Flynn was doing his best not to make a big deal of it, just keeping an arm tucked around him and keeping him steady. At least he hadn't needed to be carried. Mathias appreciated it. When they got inside, Flynn ushered him to their bed. "Here, love," he said, "you look like you need to lie down again."

Mathias nodded. "Lie down with me, please?" His head was spinning a little from the effort of getting home.

"Wild elekks couldn't keep me from you," Flynn promised, helping Mathias with his clothes. He tugged the covers aside and let Mathias slide under them, then commenced tossing his own clothes everywhere before slipping in beside Mathias. "Oh, Tides, I missed you," Flynn murmured, taking Mathias in his arms.

"I was here all along," Mathias said, knowing exactly what Flynn meant. He snuggled closer, trying to avoid making things hurt. "I missed you, too. Every time I opened my eyes, I wished that bunk was bigger."

Flynn shook his head. "No, you didn't. I'd have hurt you. That wouldn't do." He wrapped Mathias in a warm, loving embrace. Mathias sighed into it, just feeling his lover's skin on his own. He rested his head on Flynn's shoulder.

Flynn pressed kisses into Mathias's hair, one hand moving slowly along his back and side, and Mathias let himself enjoy it. He tried not to think of how long he was going to be stuck here, unable to do anything as he recovered. They'd been well supplied with potions for the pain, and Flynn had sworn to make him take them when he needed to. It was strange, knowing someone would be here to look after him. He wondered if Flynn had felt the same after he'd been shot. Flynn's injuries hadn't been quite as dire; he'd recovered far more quickly than Mathias would.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with all this time on my hands, and nothing to do," Mathias murmured.

"You're going to get better," Flynn told him. "And once you're strong enough, if you like, I can take you down to the _Arva_ when she's in port. You can sit with the crew, have people to talk to. I'll be able to get a little work done myself. Once you've been home for a bit, I said they could come up to visit us, as long as you don't get overwhelmed by it. I thought you might like a little company now and then."

Mathias looked up into Flynn's eyes. "What do you mean, when the _Arva's_ in port? Why wouldn't she be in port if you're here?"

"Things still need to get done, love. The crew needs to get paid. Shipments need to move. Salvage missions need to happen. Sometimes the Lord Admiral is going to have something that needs done. I just won't be there for it, is all. Sonya will be her captain while I'm here with you."

Mathias looked at him, stunned. "But… but the sea is your life."

Flynn shook his head and looked at Mathias as though he were an idiot. "And so are you. And you need me right now, the _Arva_ doesn't. Do you really think I'd walk away and leave you in someone else's hands while you're hurting and you need help? What kind of man would that make me?"

"...A practical one?"

Flynn sighed. "One who didn't love you, I assume." He kissed Mathias's forehead. "Please tell me you didn't really believe I'd abandon you to go to sea right now." He looked genuinely hurt by the thought.

Mathias, uncertain what to say, remained silent.

Flynn's eyes closed, his face shadowed with pain. He held Mathias closer. "After everything we've been through together, do you still believe I don't actually want you? That I don't love you?" His voice was strained with emotion.

"It's hard sometimes," Mathias whispered, heart aching. "You're ten years younger than me. I love you, but I know that you could find someone else at any time. And right now, I'm useless. I can't… I can't give you _anything_. It's going to be a long time before I'm well again, Flynn."

Flynn looked at him again. "I know that nobody else thinks you being my matelot is enough. I thought… I hoped maybe you did. When you said that to Romano the first time, I couldn't believe that you'd really want me like that. What will it take, Mathias? What will make it real for you? Do you want to marry me? Because if that will make you believe it's real, I'll do it. In a heartbeat. Just tell me, please. What do you need from me?"

Mathias's arms tightened around Flynn, his heart thundering. "You… would do that? You would marry me?" It seemed too good to be true. He'd thought about it but he hadn't dared bring it up for fear of ruining what they already had.

"Of course I would, love. I didn't think… I mean, at least, not before the pardon. How would anyone have accepted you getting married to someone like me? To a pirate? A criminal? I never thought that we could. I thought that what you offered was… it was the best I could have from you. To call you my matelot, that was real enough for me. I'd have been content with it for the rest of my life, except for the trouble it's caused you." Flynn kissed him slowly. "The amount of utter shit both of us have taken from Lord Stick Up His Ass…" He huffed and shook his head. "Not that we'll need to worry about _him_ anymore at least."

Mathias's mind snapped from a potential marriage over to Lord Romano with a sickening jerk. "Wait, what?" He blinked. "What do you mean by _that?_ "

"Well, nobody wanted to upset you while you were still in the Healer's Hall, Mathias." 

Mathias tried to sit, but he moved too fast and his chest spasmed. He grunted in pain. Flynn was up next to him in an instant, trying to ease the sharp stabbing of it. "And _that's_ why nobody said anything. So please, just try to stay calm for a minute, okay?"

Wheezing, Mathias nodded. Eyes closed, arms wrapped around his aching chest, he leaned into Flynn. "...try…" he huffed. How bad was it going to be, he wondered?

"Look, let's just start off with I'm fine and nobody managed to actually lay a finger on me, okay?"

" _What happened?_ " Mathias asked, through the pain and his gritted teeth.

"Well, you remember when you told us about what the val'kyr said?" Mathias nodded. "I was taking your report over to SI:7 when Romano decided it would be a good idea to assassinate me." Mathias stiffened, his heart shuddering in his chest, pain flaring again, accompanied by a shot of panic. "But, like I said, he botched it entirely. Actually thought he would gloat at me first. I put down all seven of them without breaking a sweat. Shiv's shipped him off to some place called the Iron Siegeworks, wherever that is. He's not likely to be a problem again."

"Flynn…" Mathias ached.

Flynn held him close, trying to be comforting. "If he'd done it properly, I'd be dead. He didn't believe I'd be capable of defending myself, so he showed his hand, and I wiped the alley with all seven of them. Most of them are dead. You don't have to worry."

"Seven?" Mathias hardly knew what to think. "You fought _seven_ of them? Were they SI:7?"

"Yeah, but they were a bunch of toothless pups, Mathias. They didn't touch me. Not one of them. Not even Romano. If he'd just kept his mouth shut, it would have been a different story. Seriously, your lot need better training."

Mathias swallowed hard. He didn't know how to feel about that. Better training meant his lover would have died. Not being properly trained meant that missions might be failing. He buried his face in Flynn's shoulder, too exhausted to cope with any of it.

Flynn nuzzled him. "It's okay, love, it's okay. I talked to Shiv and Rell. They're dealing with it. They're looking for anyone who might have cooperated with Romano. Anybody who might have been pulling his strings, because somebody probably was. They're looking at the training protocols. They'll fix it."

"I don't know what to do," Mathias rasped.

"Nothing, Mathias. The _only_ thing you're responsible for right now is getting better. They've got things in hand until you're back in the game. And I'm still here. I've got you. I promise."

***

A week later, Mathias was on the _Arva_ with Flynn, in port at Stormwind. It was good to get out of the flat. He was feeling a little better, but still nowhere near well enough to work. Barely well enough to get down to the _Arva_ , really, but he'd needed an escape. Flynn had brought them down on his riding parrot because there was no way Mathias would have been well enough to walk that far, nor to ride on his own just yet. He'd reached the point where he needed to see the sun more than just through a window, needed to be around others for a while. Flynn had done his best, but after that long together without even a few hours for a break, they were getting on one another's nerves, so this had seemed like a good alternative. They'd had short visits from the crew of the _Arva_ every couple of days, and it had been pleasant to see them, but he'd desperately needed to get outside for a while.

It felt good to have the breeze in his hair. Not wearing his armor outside the flat still felt strange and entirely too vulnerable, but there was no need for it at the moment, and it would have been really uncomfortable anyway. Flynn was in the Captain's cabin, talking with Sonya and dealing with what was apparently a colossal pile of paperwork that he'd been neglecting for his trading company. Mathias had brought a pocket knife and a piece of wood; he sat on a coil of rope with his back against the railing, whittling. His hands were steady enough, and he could finally focus again for more than half an hour or so before the pain distracted him. Most days, at least. It was receding, finally. It rarely hurt to breathe anymore unless he was stressed or he pushed himself too hard. 

He'd got the basic shape of the parrot going and was starting to put in a little detail around the head when Johnny came over. He was tall, with brown eyes and dark brown hair. "What you got there, Shaw?"

Mathias looked up. "Just whittling. I haven't had much time for it in… I don't know, years, I guess. Right now, I've got nothing but time. Helps to have something to do with my hands. Not being well enough to do anything is getting to me." He'd not felt this helpless since just after Suramar.

Johnny sat on the deck next to him. "Wouldn't have taken you for the artistic type, but you never know, do you?" He quirked a crooked smile at Mathias. "I do a bit of art myself." Johnny reached into a pocket and pulled out the bones he played when the crew got musical at night, and held them out to Mathias.

He'd never seen the bones when they weren't in motion, clattering together too quickly for the eye to follow. The four short sections of rib bone were smooth and polished, but decorated with intricate, colored knots of tentacles and fish, engraved into the surface with a technique Mathias hadn't seen before. He set his knife and the partly-done parrot down and took the bones from the sailmaker, turning them in his hands to look at them from all angles. "This is amazing," he murmured. "You did this?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. It's called scrimshaw. You do it with a needle and ink. Look close. Most of those aren't actually lines. Some you scratch in but a lot of it is made of tiny dots, all close together."

Mathias held them close, squinting to focus, and saw that most of them were, indeed, lines made of tiny, closely spaced and overlapping points. "This must take forever."

Johnny shrugged. "I'm a sailmaker, Shaw. Sails and scrimshaw just prove that you've got the patience to stab something ten thousand times to get what you want."

Mathias chuckled and handed Johnny back his bones. "Now that, I can understand," he said. "I've probably stabbed a target dummy ten thousand times for every time I've actually stabbed another person."

Johnny laughed. "Well, I get art and sails out of it, at least."

Mathias raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes a corpse can be very useful."

"True, that," Johnny said. "I can think of a few corpses I wouldn't mind creating. You feeling better lately? We've all been worried about you."

Mathias sighed and nodded. "A little. It's slow. Feels too slow, most of the time, but I'm getting there."

"That's good. It's good to see you walking around again. The first rumors we heard… well, we'd initially heard you'd died." Johnny didn't look at him. "Hit us all pretty hard."

Mathias blinked a few times, confusion rising in him. "I know Flynn would have been upset, but why would it have bothered any of you?"

Johnny looked at him, brows wrinkled. "You really don't get it, do you? You don't get that you're one of us. You don't get that we care about you."

Mathias shook his head. "I don't. I mean, why? I'm Flynn's matelot, yes, but that's… that's just between us."

"Oh, Shaw," Johnny said with a sigh and a shake of his head. "This crew, the _Arva_ \-- we're a family here. Flynn's a good man, a good captain. We've been through a lot together. You're one of us, not just because you're Flynn's, not just because you saved his life, but because you came for _all_ of us. And I know in your head, that rescue was about him, but we were all included in it. You could have pulled something together that would have got him out and left everyone else, and it likely would have been easier than what actually happened. You risked everything for _all of us_. Grixx and Relly didn't invite you to their wedding just because Flynn was going. They wanted _you_ there, too." He reached out and lay one calloused hand on Mathias's shoulder. "You've sailed with us. You've bled with us. You've run the rigging with us. You've faced storms with us. How could you not be one of ours? You're part of our family, just like Flynn is. Never let anyone tell you different."

Mathias sat, silent, trying to understand what he'd just been told. It didn't make sense. "I… you're serious?" He thought about how people from the crew had dropped by the flat, just to spend a little time with him and Flynn. It had been nice. He'd felt included, a part of something outside of work and duty for once in his life.

"I am. So's every last one of us. Ask anybody in the crew, they'll tell you, just like I did."

There was an ache in Mathias's chest that had nothing to do with his wound. "Nobody's ever... "

"It's okay that you don't understand yet," Johnny said. He squeezed Mathias's shoulder and let go. "You will. Just give us a chance, okay? We'll show you."

"Thank you," Mathias murmured, thoughtful and trying to wrap his mind around it.

Thurin and Billie came up the gangplank, bringing something with them that smelled wonderful. "Got some lunch," Thurin called. "Pork skewers for everyone!" He saw Mathias and Johnny sitting at the railing. "You want some?"

"Aye!"

"Please."

"Billie, take some over to 'em." Thurin handed her a grease-spotted bag. Mathias could see the wooden skewers poking out the top.

"Okay, Papa Thurin." She came trotting over and dropped onto the deck beside Mathias. She held out the bag to them, after taking a skewer for herself. "Here, Mister Selden." She waved the bag at Johnny, who took a skewer. She leaned into Mathias's side. "Here, Master Shaw. Some for you too."

"Thanks, Monkey." He took the skewers he'd been offered and nibbled at them. The meat was hot and fragrant and nicely spiced, from one of the vendors near the docks. The girl stayed there, casually leaning against his side, nibbling on her own skewer. He tucked an arm around her and she settled, just eating her lunch.

Maybe Johnny was right, Mathias thought. Flynn and Sonya came up from belowdecks at the sound of Thurin's call.

"Did I hear rumor of pork skewers?" Flynn asked. Thurin handed him a bag and Flynn grinned and thanked him. He came over to where Mathias was sitting. "Hey Monkey, scoot over so your Captain can sit with his matelot."

She shook her head and said, "No," through a mouthful of food.

"Terrible little thing," he said. "I guess you'll just have to be squished between us then."

She giggled as Flynn sat down beside her and tucked an arm over her and around Mathias's shoulder. Thurin and Sonya sat nearby, on another coil of rope, everyone having lunch together. Flynn leaned over Billie's head and pressed a greasy kiss to Mathias's cheek, his mouth full of pork.

Family. The only family Mathias had ever really known was his grandmother. His mother had died when he was four and he barely remembered her. He couldn't remember affection ever being a part of his life until Flynn came into it. He wondered if maybe it was time to consider redefining what family actually meant to him.

If it felt like this, maybe it was worth having one.


End file.
